Catalyst
by Viva.La.Revolucion
Summary: Ember and Draco Malfoy couldn't be more different if they tried. The twins, once close, have now taken different paths. The secrets have every possibility of tearing the family apart - unless someone has a change of heart. M for future chapters.
1. Foreword

**A NOTE FROM YOUR AUTHOR:**

Welcome to the sequel of _Trikk or Treat_.

You'll notice while reading that some things have changed from J.K. Rowling's books.

This sequel is mostly based on a roleplay between a friend and I. **Cleverhearts**, here's to bored nights and procrastinating on homework.

Differences you'll notice: Original characters, Fred and George Weasley remaining in school, and a bit of original magic/potions (reintroducing the Dreamless Draught).

This story also jumps time _a lot_, but it's necessary due to the fact that it covers two years in school.

Everything else follows the plotline of Rowling's books.

Enjoy!


	2. Against All Odds

**Chapter One  
**_(Against All Odds)_

"Harry, ol' boy! How's the wife and kids?"

Ember Malfoy looked up from her book as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger entered the Hogwart's Express cabin. All three cast a glance at Anna Callahan, and then raised their eyes questioningly at Ember. She bookmarked her page and shrugged her shoulder before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Don't ask me," She stated, smiling. "How was your summer break?"

All three began talking at once, and Ember was only able to pick out bits and pieces of each story. Hermione was talking about interning at her parents' dentist office, and Ron was complaining about some horrible treat his older brothers had conned him into trying. Ember straightened when Harry began talking about Horace Slughorn.

"He agreed to teaching at Hogwarts again?" Ember frowned softly. "He taught our parents."

"Dumbledore believes Slughorn will bring something special to the school," Harry shrugged a shoulder. "Though I'm not sure what – the man seems a complete nutter."

"If he's teaching Potions…" Anna mused, and then scowled. "You don't think Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, do you?"

"I'm afraid so," Harry mumbled softly.

The four other Gryffindors began protesting, as if Harry had had something to do with the decision. He was staring around at them with an indecipherable look, and he seemed anxious to get the attention off of himself and the problem. Turning to Ember, he fixed her with a pleading look, and everyone turned towards her.

"How was _your_ summer?" He asked quickly. "How's your mum?"

Harry's question was genuine, Ember knew. As much as the boy despised her brother and father, he adored her mother ten times more. Their mothers had gone to school together; Ember supposed the boy felt a kinship with her mother, since she had known Lily and James Potter before their death.

"Oh," Ember smiled tensely. "It was just swell. Mum's handling things as well as can be expected."

Ember didn't like lying to her friends, but she hadn't been able to tell them the truth. The summer had been the most interesting Ember could remember. Her mother was often locked in her room, and when she was seen, her face was gaunt and tear-stained. Draco would watch his mother with slight contempt, as if he knew what her problem was. Whenever Ember had pressed him on the matter, he would tell her to sod off and mind her own before storming off. Her father, in Azkaban since the incident at the Ministry of Magic at the beginning of the summer, would have watched on in bemusement with an arched eyebrow.

The Gryffindor sighed; she often wondered how her family hadn't torn itself apart. Her father and mother, from two enemy houses, had married shortly after leaving Hogwarts. Her mother, as Ayr Malfoy put it, had "anger management problems", and was often seen scowling over a letter from her father before storming off to barricade herself in their bedroom for hours. She knew her family history, and knew her mother detested Ember's grandfather. In fact, Ember detested her grandfather, too. Draco and her father, however, seemed intent on pleasing him. Ember's mother was not pleased, but remained with Lucius, claiming she would not do to Ember and Draco what her mother had done to her.

Ember had spent most of the summer in a blur of confusion. Her brother spent most of his days out of the house. On a particular day, Draco had stormed into her room, his face angry and conflicted. When Ember had asked him about it, he opened his mouth as if he were about to say something. Then, he had slapped her, demanding she learn her place and mind her own business.

Ember frowned. Her brother had become too much like her father, and she didn't like it. He had begun calling her a blood traitor in jest during first year, when she had been sorted into Gryffindor and befriended Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys. It had stopped being playful over the summer, when he barely talked to her at all, except to ask what side of the war she would take. She never had an answer.

"You're thinking too hard," Anna mumbled softly, startling Ember.

"Oh," She smiled sheepishly, waving a hand. "Just remembering where I'm supposed to meet Draco at the castle is all."

"Draco?" Anna's eyes lit up immediately. "How is he?"

Ember rolled her eyes; Anna had an incurable crush on her twin brother. Ember had tried telling her countless times that Draco wasn't interested in dating, but Anna was incorrigible. She replied that he was fine, and then wondered about her own incurable crush. She turned to Ron with a smile.

"I don't hear any screaming or vomiting," She commented airily. "Are George and Fred feeling alright?"

Ron made some comment, and Hermione turned to him with a scowl. Harry did not seem as jovial as usual; he scowled as Ron and Hermione bickerd. Ember and Anna watched on with amusement. It was obvious the two liked each other – to everyone but each other. Ember turned to see Harry's moody expression which she supposed wasn't abnormal these days-what with going from a psychotic liar to "the Chosen One," it was understandable. Still, he seemed more moody today. Anna must have noticed, as well, because she leaned towards Harry and frowned.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

The bickering stopped and Hermione looked at Harry, rolling her eyes.

"Harry thinks your brother is a Death Eater."

Anna raised an eyebrow and turned to Ember, who said nothing. She was uncomfortable with the mention of Draco in any case, but the subject of his affiliation with the Dark Lord rubbed her the wrong way. She was often caught in the middle of "family loyalty" and "friends' honesty". Rather than answer, she turned to Harry.

"Why?" She asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"We saw him at Bourgin and Burke's with your father, and a group of people," Ron drawled, rolling his eyes. "Harry's convinced it was an initiation of some sort."

The compartment door rolled open, and the group of Gryffindors turned to greet the newcomers. Ron turned green as the twins' faces appeared, both of them grinning madly as the groans of disillusioned first-years floated in through the open door. Hermione immediately began scolding them, insisting that their childish pranks and _horrid_ treats were getting tiring. Ember felt the blood rush to her cheeks as they stepped into the cabin, and she swallowed the lump that had appeared in her throat. Playing it off as a twisted sense of sibling compassion, she leaned towards Harry and smiled, placing a hand on his knee.

"Everyone's innocent until proven guilty," She offered softly. "Even my brother deserves his day, don't you think?"

Harry fixed her with an exasperated look, but said nothing as she leaned back into her seat. She ignored Anna's elbow as it nudged her ribs; she loved Anna, really, but her friend was as stubborn as a mule sometimes. She pushed the blush from her cheeks and turned towards the twins; she had ignored them long enough to seem casual.

"Oy! We don't want what you two are selling."

The twins grinned and slid into the seats next to Ember, one on each side of her. Anna raised her eyebrows at the scene, and Hermione hid a grin by looking out the window. Ron watched suspiciously, seeming surprised that nothing had been blown up yet. Harry's scowl didn't disappear, but he turned his attention from brooding to the twins.

"Aren't you looking ravishing this year," Fred smiled, placing his arm around Ember. "Wouldn't you agree, George?"

George nodded solemnly, and Ember sent them both a _'spare me'_ look.

"Quite spiffy," George said, teasing. He placed one of his arms around Ember's shoulders as well, and raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps you'd like to try out one of our, products for our future joke shop?"

Ember thought they were brilliant, but she wasn't stupid. She placed a hand on each of the boys' chests and pushed them away, crossing her arms over her torso and looking at them both questioningly.

"And end up puking for two weeks or doing something else grotesque for who knows how long? No, thanks."

Fred put a hand to his heart. "You wound me." He said quietly.

"Such cruelty," added George.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and the compartment slid open again. Ember hoped there was no one else, because there wasn't much room left. Anna's eyes lit up and she grinned as she spotted the front of the Sweets Trolley.

Ember put one hand on each boy beside her, pushing them away and snorting.

"Thanks, but I'll stick with something I know isn't tainted," She mumbled to the twins. "If you want to do something useful, go jinx Malfoy's goons. Don't you have a girl to bespell or something?" The more she talked, the more she could control her breathing. She fished out a coin and tossed it to Anna. "Get me a few Chocolate Frogs, would you?"

Ember settled back in her seat, throwing one last disgusted look at the twins. Anna turned from the trolley with her hands full of treats, and tossed the Chocolate Frogs to Ember. The girl caught them easily, quickly tearing into one.

"There you go, Harry," Ron mumbled as he bit into one of his Licorice Wands. "Just sic _them_ on Draco, and he'll be so miserable he'll confess to anything you want him to."

Harry grunted indecipherably, and ate his Cauldron Cake. The cabin fell into silence as the Gryffindors enjoyed their sweets, noises of satisfaction echoing through the compartment. Ember watched with wide eyes as Harry stood. He finished his cake and then slid the compartment open, grabbing his Invisibility Cloak.

"I'll be back soon," He mumbled, his eyes vacant.

Without another word, Harry left the cabin and slid the door shut. Ember frowned at the determination she saw in his eyes. As she listened to her friends babble, she could only hope that Harry wasn't about to do something stupid.

(xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

Harry ended up being out of the compartment the whole trip, which struck Ember as odd. Even Ron and Hermione were worried.

"He'll catch up," Ron said, less worried than Hermione.

Anna turned, looking around the trains hallways, but Harry was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, she followed Ember off the train. The first years followed Hagrid onto the boats, which Anna murmured about; her friend adored the boats, and Ember smiled softly as she listened to her babble on about them. In Ember's mind, the horseless carriages were more exciting.

The horseless carriages stood waiting, students already being carted off towards the school; Ember caught sight of Draco stomping up to one and getting on. He looked over at her staring, looking her up and down, and then looking away. Ember frowned and felt Anna stiffen beside her. She turned to see her friend's eyes trained on her brother, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at them both.

Anna and Ember got on their own carriage with Ron and Hermione. The latter was worriedly fingering her robes, wondering where Harry was, and irritated Ron didn't seem that worried. Ember swatted at them both and said nothing, looking ahead as the carriage took off. When they made it to the castle, they pushed through the Great Hall, sitting at the Gryffindor table with the rest of their house. After Dumbledore made his speech, introducing Slughorn, she groaned at the thought of having Snape for Dark Arts. She watched the teacher, remembering the slight crush she had on him as a younger student. She couldn't help it back then; he was so dark, so brooding. So –

"Covered in blood. Why is it that he's always covered in blood?"

She looked towards Ginny Weasley as she pointed at Harry, who did indeed have blood dripping from his nose. Her ears caught a soft snickering, and she shot a look directly at Draco, who waggled his eyebrows at Anna's turned head. She narrowed her eyes, wondering not only what he had done to Harry, but why he was focusing on Anna. She flipped him the bird and turned to the feast in front of her.

Anna continued to eat oblivious to Ember and Draco's exchange. Ember heard Anna inquiring about Harry, who shrugged it off. Anna let it go. It was a boy thing, Ember concluded. They could get the shit beat out of them and still say; _"It's only a scratch."_

By the time dinner was over, Draco had slipped out of the hall, looking suspicious. He had glanced at her, than Anna, and then turned away, walking out. Ember noticed Anna's awe-struck gaze, frowning at the curious gleam in her eyes. She turned to the twins, who were bickering about the best way to implement their newest disaster. She felt soft movement beside her, and when she looked, her eyes narrowed. She could see the tail end of Anna's robes as they disappeared out of the hall.

Ember stood left the group with a smile and a wave, making Fred and George promise to save a game of Wizard's Chess for her. She followed behind Anna and Draco, following the sound of the two rather than the sight. She frowned as she watched the two disappear into the Room of Requirements, but continued following anyway. She slipped in unnoticed, stopping short at the sight of her brother in front of a tall cabinet. Vowing to ask him about it later, she slipped behind Anna and slid a hand over her friend's mouth.

"Whatever he's doing," She hissed as softly as possible, "I doubt it's something you want to be involved in. Don't ruin your pretty boy image of him."

She pulled her friend out of the room and led her towards the Gryffindor Tower. She only uncovering her mouth when they were standing in front of the Fat Lady. Ember turned towards Anna with a glare.

"Are you daft, you twit? Our father's a Death Eater. Whatever Draco's slithering around doing, it isn't good. Your incessant need to prove he's pure at heart is going to get you into trouble." Ember shook her head and dragged Anna up to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Chrysanthemum."

She watched Anna storm up to the girls' dorm silently, and frowned softly. Hermione and Ron fixed her with a curious gaze from their seats on the couch, and she shrugged. She winced as she heard the door upstairs slam shut.

"What did you say to her?" Fred asked, looking up from his game of Exploding Snaps with George. "Did you finally tell her that itty-bitty Draco was playing for the other team?"

Ember rolled her eyes and smacked Fred's head, scowling and insisting that her brother was not gay. With a sigh, she bid her friends good night and followed Anna up the stairs. Her friend was already in bed when she opened the door, and Ember sighed again. She changed into her nightgown and slid between the sheets of her bed. It took her longer than she thought it would, but she finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Draco sat in front of the Vanishing Cabinet, staring up at the white sheet. He hadn't taken it off yet for a number of reasons. He had come too close to getting caught after dinner; he didn't know who, but someone had followed him. That, he sneered at the thought, and the fact the bloody cabinet frustrated him to no end. His fingers trailed along the edge of the sheet numbly, his mind far away from the place he needed it to be.

He stiffened as he heard the door to the Room of Requirements open. Expecting Ember, he turned with a scowl, pausing when he saw Anna Callahan looking around. He ducked behind the Vanishing Cabinet, moving out of her line but keeping her in his. Callahan looked over her shoulder, and then continued looking around the room.

Draco held his breath at the sound of her bare feet slapping against stone. She stood in front of it for a long time, before she finally pulled the sheet down. Her face pinched into a confused frown. She opened the door and looked inside of the cabinet; her face looked even more conflicted when she shut the door again.

Draco moved through a labyrinth of various pieces of junk, weaving his way around until he stood behind her. He watched as her head tilted to the side, and he almost laughed. He realized she was trying to figure out what she was looking at, and knew she wouldn't without help. His eyebrow quirked, and he leaned in close to her ear.

"Wandering around so late at night, are we Callahan?"

Callahan yelped in surprise, jerking her body around to focus on him. She took a step back and winced as her back slammed into the Vanishing Cabinet. Draco smirked as she swallowed audibly; the fearful curiosity was pouring off her body. He stepped forward, towering over her small frame, and smirked down at her. Her eyes flickered over his shoulder, and he placed a palm on the cabinet by her head. He was making it clear to her that she wasn't leaving without answering him.

"I..." She trailed off, shifting from one foot to the other.

Realization dawned on him as he watched her anxious movements.

"You followed me earlier." He stated smugly.

He moved away from her, scowling, but she stayed put. She was watching him with wary, wide eyes, and he couldn't help but notice how doe-like she looked in that moment. He pushed the thought away, scowling even fiercer at his reaction to her.

"What is it?" She asked finally, looking over her shoulder.

"None of your business," He deadpanned, glaring. "Now off to bed, Callahan, before I deduct House Points."

"You're out of bed too!" She retorted, stumbling over her words.

"I'm a Prefect." He snarled. "Don't question my authority, Callahan – I won't warn you again."

He watched as her mouth opened, and then closed again. She finally moved, darting around him and running towards the door. She pulled it open quickly and disappeared, presumably towards the Gryffindor Tower. He scowled at her back, wondering why his sister couldn't have better control over her friends.

Draco watched her leave, his sneer only leaving his face when he was sure she was gone. He watched with empty eyes before turning back to the cabinet, frowning. His father's voice ran through his head, reminding Draco for the umpteenth time about the task given to him by the Dark Lord. Draco's face pulled itself into a sneer as he turned to face the Vanishing Cabinet.

Trying to ignore his father's voice, Draco paced around the Vanishing Cabinet angrily. It was Potter's fault that his father was in Azkaban in the first place. Potter and his bloody clan of goodies. No matter, he told himself. They'd all get theirs when the time was right.

_If you can do your job correctly_, his father's voice scoffed.

In a sudden fit of anger, Draco slammed the side of his fist against the Vanishing Cabinet, letting out a cry of frustration. He leaned his forehead against his fist and seethed; he was expecting Callahan to run to his sister, who would nag his ear off until he told her to sod off. It wasn't that he despised Ember for her life choices; in fact, he loved his sister greatly. She was his reason for doing this – her, their mother, and their father.

_No one will know_, he told himself, breathing raggedly. _Everything's going to be fine_.

Draco thought that if he kept telling himself this, he would eventually come to believe it. With a growl of frustration, he threw the sheet back over the cabinet and left the Room of Requirements. He was too shaken to work tonight.


	3. Classified Information

**Chapter Two  
**_(Classified Information)_

Ember woke up, fumbling around for her alarm clock before realizing that her alarm clock was Hermione's persistent attempts at waking them all. She grumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She blinked, and noticed that Anna was still sleeping, one of her feet poking out of her covers. She walked over to it and pulled on her toes, noticing that there was dirt on her foot. She slapped it, raising an eyebrow.

"Rise and shine, Cinderella."

Anna jerked awake, and rubbed her eyes.

"Morning already?" She mumbled, laying back down into the soft bedding.

"Sleepwalk last night?" Ember asked innocently.

Anna's eyes widened, and there was a slight flush creeping up her neck. She chewed on her lip, and Ember crossed her arms, waiting. Anna caught Hermione's eye, and the latter girl only quirked her own eyebrow and shrugged. Swallowing audibly, she shot out of bed and past Hermione; Ember heard one of the showers turn on and she sighed.

"Care to explain what that was about?" Hermione asked, walking into the bathroom.

"It's not important," Ember sighed. "I'll tell you if it becomes so."

The girls showered and got themselves ready in relative silent. Ember noticed that Anna was acting skittish, and it made her frown when she realized her friend had followed Draco after hours last night. She sighed, grabbed her books, and followed the two out of the dorm. Not seeing the boys, they headed towards the Great Hall.

Ember looked around, noting that Harry, Ron and the twins were already at the Gryffindor table. She turned her attention towards the Slytherin table, scowling at the sight of Pansy Parkinson clinging to her brother. She mumbled too Anna and Hermione that she's be right there, and crossed the Hall into no-Gryffindors-allowed territory. She stood behind Draco and cleared her throat.

"It's too early for you to start annoying me, Ember."

"What is it?" She asked, ignoring his comment. "You know _what_ I'm talking about."

"It's none of your business," He turned, scowling at her. "And I'll thank you to remember that."

Ember fixed him with a scowl of her own, placing a hand on her hip and tapping her foot impatiently. His eyes narrowed and his chin raised; Ember noticed with dismay that his nostrils flared in sincere anger. Pansy had turned in her seat, glaring at the girl who dared to interfere with her flirting. Ember's eyes narrowed more, and she locked her scowl on her brother.

"I'm waiting," She hissed.

"Don't hold your breath," He sneered. "It's none of your damn business, Ember. Go back where you belong."

Ember seethed and felt her own nostrils flare. She turned to Pansy and pulled a face intended to ward the girl off. It must have worked because Pansy turned after giving Ember a final glare. She turned back to her brother and pointed warningly.

"This isn't over, Draco." She flicked her eyes over to the Gryffindor table, where her friends were watching her. "I'll find out one way or the other."

She turned, leaving the sounds of Pansy's annoyed chatter behind her. Her friends quickly looked down at their plates as she neared them, and she was happy to pretend that the confrontation with her brother hadn't happened. She took her seat, between Anna and Ginny, and smiled as she piled food onto her plate.

She must have interrupted a conversation about Draco, in any case; Anna and Harry were comparing notes and flicking their eyes at her brother. She heard a mention of Bourgin and Bourke's, and sighed. Ember flipped her hair over her shoulder, stealing a piece of sausage off of Fred's plate, completely ignoring his protesting and pointing to her own full plate.

"If you want my opinion," She began, ignoring Fred's 'they don't', "Anything in that shop is bad news. _But_ I'm sure you could find some mention of it in the Restricted section."

She stole another piece of bacon, this time from George's plate, and pointed at both Harry and Anna with it.

"And it was my idea, so don't you _dare_ go without me." Ember yelped at Fred's kick to her shin under the table. "Don't you have a first year to terrorize, you red-headed... _cretin?_"

Fred wasn't paying much attention to her insults. George had nudged him and inclined his head towards Anna. Ember followed their gaze and frowned when she saw Anna staring blatantly over to the Slytherin table. George waved a hand in front of Anna's face, and the girl blushed at being noticed.

"I do believe you have a love interest for our enemy," He said, and Fred nodded.

"The symptoms are there, blushing, glazed over eyes."

"I bet your heart is fluttering," George continued to tease, as Anna's blush deepened.

"So, do you have your schedule, Ember?" She asked, trying to ignore the twins and their teasing.

"I think he needs a good lay, maybe he won't be such an arse." Fred said in the background.

Anna continued to ignore them and turned towards Ember. Ember, in turn, scoffed at the twins, shooting them a look. She might not like Draco lately, but she didn't like her friend's discomfort.

"Sure," She argued with them, handing Anna her schedule. "So what's _your_ excuse?" She turned back to her friend after punching Fred in the shoulder. "Divination first. Then Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a free period, which I may fill up with either Muggle Studies or How to Get the Hot Air out of The Weasley Twins' Heads."

She directed the last part at the twins, who fixed her with feign looks of betrayal. She risked a glance at Draco, who was staring at Anna with intent. It wasn't his normal scowl. In fact, he almost looked... peaceful. She shook her head, wondering what was going through her brother's bloody head. She leaned her chin in her palm and sighed.

"I have got to stop drinking coffee before bed," She muttered, turning back to her table.

"I have the same classes - which is good, because knowing me, I'll forget where I'm supposed to be."

"Divination is such a useless subject," Hermione scowled.

She, however, received many glares from the girls at the table, who had hoped Firenze was going to teach Divination again. He was only teaching it to 3-5th year students, though, the rest was being taught by Trelawny. Breakfast didn't last much longer, and the two girls made their way to Divination, saying good-bye to their friends.

Ember was surprised to see her brother at a table near theirs. She felt her brows knit in frustration; the last she had heard, Draco couldn't stand Trelawny, _or_ Divination. Pushing aside her confusion, she turned to the crystal balls, which would be the focus of their class that day. Anna was staring intently at the sphere, and Ember grinned, deciding to poke a little fun at her friend. She enjoyed watching as Anna's face slipped into a frown.

"I see a smiling face… oh, no – wait." The girl's frown deepened as she leaned towards the ball. "It's sticking its tongue out now."

Ember pulled her face away from the ball, pulling her tongue back into her mouth. Trelawny was behind them, muttering something about a bad omen. The class amused her; she had never believed in any of it, but it was a nice break and an easy pass. Everything was a bad omen to the professor. She flicked her hair off of her shoulders, sputtering a few stray blonde hairs that floated in front of her eyes. She pulled out a piece of parchment, scribbled on it, and passed it to Anna.

_I see a black closet in the crystal ball, and a group of teens in the Restricted Section. Bad omen._

Anna bit her lip, amused; and scribbled a note back. _I see Fred and George coming with us. Definitely bad omen. _Anna sniggered under her breath, passing it to Ember. The latter girl watched as her friend looked over at Draco under her lashes. Draco looked absolutely bored.

"My dear!" The Professor said, breaking Anna from her staring; the class turned to face Ember and Anna. "Do you sense bad vibes in this young man?"

Anna shrugged. "Should I?"

Ember spared a piteous glance at Anna, who had the beginning of a blush creeping up her neck. Her friend hated being the center of attention; Anna's eyes dropped to the crystal ball in front of them and squirmed in her seat.

"Why, you were staring at him so intently, that I...oh, oh yes…" She mumbled, walking past. "Young love."

Anna looked as if she wanted to crawl in a hole and die, as people laughed under their breath. Ember raised an eyebrow at her friend, who shot her a pleading look. It either said _help me_ or _spare me_. Ember couldn't decipher one against the other, so she decided to do both. She turned towards her brother and fixed him with a scowl.

"Back off, Draco. You can't have her. She's mine." She turned back to Anna, squeezed her hand, and smiled. "Relax. The woman's gone foggy. Half the stuff she spouts out is nonsense."

Ember took the piece of parchment, scribbling back with a dreamy look in her eye. _The only bad that will come from _them_ coming is that the library might puke on itself from mouths that grow on the walls. Boys can't keep their wand in their pants._

The class didn't last much longer, for which Anna seemed thankful. Their next class was Potions with the Slytherins, and Ember and Anna collected their books. Anna was grumbling about the foggy old bat, and Ember smirked in amusement. They took their places next to Hermione, who wanted to know what Anna was grumbling about. She was just about to respond when Harry and Ron walked into the classroom, apologizing for being late.

Slughorn's eyes lit up, and he directed the boys to take a book from the cabinet in the back of the room. Ember watched in amusement as the two fought over one of the books; Ron came towards the group with a victorious gleam in his eyes. Harry was looking down in dismay at the ragged book in his hands.

The students listened as Slughorn prattled on about the different potions he would be teaching them to make. He opened a lid on a cauldron, and the word _Amortentia_ fell out of his lips. Ember had tuned him out; the rich aroma of new books, brownies, and cigar smoke was making it hard for her to concentrate on anything. She, and all of the other girls, jumped when Slughorn replaced the lid.

"Today," The professor chuckled, directing them to their stations. "We'll be making the Draught of Living Death. Whoever makes the best sample will win _this_."

The professor held up a small vial of clear liquid, which Hermione labeled as Liquid Luck. Ember turned at Draco's sharp intake of breath, and her brow knitted together. His eyes were gleaming with determination, and she had to wonder what her brother had to do that he wasn't already capable of doing himself. Pushing the thought aside, she turned to her small cauldron, and opened her book to page 10 to begin reading the instructions.

* * *

Harry left Potions with a smug grin on his face. Ember noticed he was looking at the ragged Potions book with a new-found adoration. The group made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Ember despised. The girl found that repeating the spell's name in her mind over and over again, and wishing for the spell to come out of her wand, didn't make Snape pleased when it got no results. Wordless incantations were harder than Ember had originally thought.

Ember and Anna were working together between muttering curses of frustration back and forth. The most Anna did was slightly disrobe Ember when she tried lifting her off the ground. Instead, the hem of her black school robe twitch, and then lifted over her head.

"Oops," Anna sighed, and stiffened as Snape turned to glare at her. "Well, at least it did _something_ - it's progress!" Snape glared, and with a dramatic swoosh of his robes, marched out of the classroom and dismissed the class.

" I think he was pleased with me," Anna mumbled smugly as they gathered their books. "He didn't deduct House Points. It's progress. Soon we'll be eating Tea and Crumpets together."

Ron snorted. "I don't think Hell's frozen over yet."

Anna stuck out her tongue, and Ember watched the exchange in amusement, pleased that her free block was here. She turned towards Anna and squeezed her friend's shoulder comfortingly. Harry, Ron and Hermione waved good-bye to them, off to their next class. After wishing them luck, Ember turned back to Anna with a smile.

"Don't worry," She offered, linking arms with her friend. "We'll practice together tonight, and we'll come back ready to take down Snape's world with a thought."

The two began heading towards the Gryffindor common room, and made idle conversation as they passed through the corridors. They stepped onto the landing of the Grand Staircase and waited for their staircase to arrive. They weren't even three steps up before two blurs rushed past them, making their robes flutter around them.

"You twin _terrors_!" Ember yelped, waving good-bye to Anna as she took off after them. "You're going to get someone _killed_!"

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Draco heard his sister's shouts coming from the stairway, and he rolled his eyes. She insisted on making herself heard throughout the entire castle. He seethed, wondering why she spent her time with blood traitors and mud bloods. It was no matter, he told himself as he rounded a corner, she would learn soon enough which side to take. His smirk parted his lips, and he paced along the seventh floor corridor until the door he needed appeared.

He walked over to the Vanishing Cabinet, and pulled the sheet off. Draco stared at the black box for a few moments, collecting his thoughts and focusing them on the job at hand. He opened the cabinet door, and paused when he thought he heard shuffling behind him. After confirming that no one was there, he placed the apple in the Vanishing Cabinet, and closed the door. He placed the tip of his wand against the wood and sighed.

"_Harmonia nectare passus_."

He opened the door and saw the apple still there. His lungs collapsed and his breath quickened after he caught it again. Montague had told him of this cabinet; it was his only hope of completing this task. He _had_ to complete it; the Dark Lord was set to punish his father and his mother… even Ember. He trembled with the realization that the safety of his family was resting on his shoulders.

He closed the cabinet door, and repeated the incantation. It took him three more tries of repeating this before the apple vanished. His spirits lifted only slightly; there was still much work to do before the cabinet would work as it should. With a smug expression, he closed the door and waited. There was a soft popping sound, and he opened it again to find the apple. He picked it up, smirking slightly when he saw that someone had taken a bite of it.

He tossed the apple over his shoulder and scowled. The Vanishing Cabinet was taking too long to repair. Snape had remained on his case, demanding on countless occasions that he let him help. Draco wasn't stupid; he knew that Snape made an Unbreakable Vow with his mother to protect him. He didn't need Snape's help _or_ his protection. He just needed another way to get the job done.

There was a muffled noise, and then the tinkling sound of porcelain shattering. Draco whirled around, and saw nothing but a shadow as the person moved out of his line of sight. His first thought was _Potter_, but then he realized that even _Potter_ wasn't quite that clumsy.

"I know you're in here, Callahan."

He heard a whisper of movement as she dodged him again. He reached out and pulled back a curtain that was close to him, smirking when the sound of her moving became louder, more panicked. The shadow disappeared behind a bookshelf, and he kept his wand pointed at it.

"There's no point in hiding."

The shadow moved again; Draco's mouth curled up into a cynical smile, and he sheathed his wand. He neared the bookshelf, making his footfalls heavy and obvious. He could hear her breathing now, ragged and short as if this excited her. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes; really, his sister's friends could be _so_ daft.

"I already know you're in here. You already know I know. What's the sense in hiding?"

He caught a glimpse of her shoe as she moved again, and he rounded the tall trunk she hid behind on the other side. He reached out and snatched Callahan's arm as soon as he saw her. He swung her around, glowering down at her. The tip of his wand pressed up into her chin, and he sneered.

"Don't meddle in affairs you don't understand. It'd be a waste of that pretty little head of yours if you ran into the wrong bad guy."

Draco watched her reaction for a moment; her eyes were wide, and her lips were parted slightly as she stared up at him. His eye narrowed; the girl seemed to have a twisted fascination for dangerous things. He pulled his wand out from under her chin, and turned on his heel. He left the awe-struck girl behind him as he left the room.

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Ember had been drenched and her clothes had clung to her pathetically. She had pushed hair away from her face, sputtering water and cursing out loud. She shrieked and sucked in water as a hand caught her ankle, pulling her under water. Her eyes were open, but she hadn't been able to tell if it was Fred or George under her. She looked in front of her, and noticed the gash on the leg of the person floating above her. That was Fred - she had clawed his leg the first time she went under. She had wriggled out of George's grasp, laughing as she scrabbled to shore and laid out in the sun, both boys coming to flank her.

Ember now towel dried her hair and changed her clothes in her dorm room, but didn't shower; she loved the way her skin felt after swimming or running around in the rain. She left the girls' dorm, dodging the spit balls flying her way from the twins. She ticked off her friends as she passed them. Ginny was in the corner with Dean, whispering animatedly. Ron walked in, bickering with Hermione, and she knew she heard the word "insensitive" in there somewhere. Harry was running around - she wasn't really sure where he was headed most of the time, lately. The only one left to find was Anna, and she knew – she _hoped_ - her friend wasn't stupid enough to follow Draco again. She walked into the library, and only paused for a second when she found them both. She stuck her hand in front of Anna's book and raised an eyebrow as she sat.

"What're you reading?"

Anna looked away from Draco, and Ember noticed she hadn't really been reading at all. Anna blushed, and fixed her eyes on Ember's damp hair. Anna flashed her friend an amused smile before showing Ember the cover of the book.

"Magical Theory… Why are you so wet?" She asked, peeking around Ember slightly.

Ember raised a question eyebrow, knowing the look made her look even more like Draco. She caught Anna's attention again by flicking her wet hair over her shoulder.

"When I caught up with George and Fred, they thought it'd be funny to charm my shoes over the water. So I pushed them in… And then George pulled me in." She flushed happily, flicking her hair again and turning her gaze to Draco. "It's bordering on obsession a bit, don't you think?"

She tore a small piece of paper off of the book Anna was reading, rolled it up and flicked it, laughing when Draco rubbed the back of his neck. Anna pulled a face of denial and flushed, turning fully in her seat so that Ember blocked her view of Draco.

"It's not an obsession!" She whispered, looking over Ember's shoulder, and blushing when she noticed he had looked over. "Seriously, Ember... Your brother's up to something. I want to know, why won't he-"

"Pour out his soul over Tea and Crumpets?" Ember looked at Anna, amused. "He's not pure of heart, Anne. I love my brother, truly, but even _I_ know when to mind my own business."

"I know." Anna whined. "Seriously, though. He's up to something. And I-"

"You want to show his dark heart the light?" Ember quipped, and Anna closed her mouth;

"Er…no." Anna denied lamely, sticking her nose back into her book.

"Liar." Ember accused in jest. "You're hopeless."

The twins suddenly appeared by their side with a cracking noise, and Ember jumped, scowling. Ever since turning seventeen, the boys hadn't been able to do anything the _normal_ way. Continuously whipping out their wands seemed to be a new habit of the Weasley twins. At the current moment in time, they were bragging about how much faster the production of their Skiving Snackboxes was now that they were able to use magic.

Ember tilted her chin up and gazed between the two boys, who began exuberantly telling Anna about the water fight at the lake not too long ago. Ember watched in amusement as they told their side, clearly painting themselves as the victim-turned-winners. She sniggered softly and moved, sitting on the table and facing the three of them. She pointed to the twins and grinned.

"What's wrong? Does whatever remaining of your butt need kicking, too?"

Anna watched the three bicker with amusement for a bit, until Hermione came in, reminding them class was starting. Anna groaned along with the twins, but got up anyway. History of Magic was next, which was basically a big snooze fest. Even _sleeping_ in that class, Ember smirked, was hard, because apparently Binns had never heard of central heating. Then there was the droning on – Ember scowled; She despised the class.

Anna grabbed her bag, slouching as she walked out of the library, and catching site of George admiring Ember's behind. The girl put her black robe on over her school uniform, and Anna smirked when George looked disappointed. Ember straightened and looked between her two friends.

"Did I miss something?"

Ember frowned at Anna when she shook her head, and reached down for her bag. She tied her hair into a quick bun, and linked arms with Hermione and Anna, walking towards the library's exit. She looked back over her shoulder and winked at the two.

"I'll take a rain check on kicking your arses!"

Ember led the two out of the door and to class, settling in for the bore that would be the next hour. She propped her chin in her hand, doodling on her parchment. Mrs. George Weasely showed up a few times before she caught herself and scribbled it out. Damn. Anna was the lucky one, Ember concluded. She may have been mortified of her crush on Draco, but at least she saw him all day long. She sighed and went back to doodling, ignoring Binns tinny voice completely.

Somewhere between hearing about Wendilin the Weird and Merlin, Anna had passed out. It wasn't until Ember shook her that she realized class was over, commenting that Dinner was going to be served soon. Anna also reiterated their plan to go into the Restricted Section in the Librar, adding that the Twins were probably going to come along and wreak havoc.

Anna groggily followed Ember outside where the sun was setting, ready to spend their time out here, waiting for dinner. Draco passed them, walking brusquely, in the middle of an argument with Crabbe and Goyle. Ember didn't get to watch much of the fight, because the Twins appeared.

"So lovely to see you, ladies," one of them said.

Ember raised an amused eyebrow as a concentrated look passed over Anna's features. Her friend's brow knitted as she looked towards the twins, and then the lake. Her eyes widened as she turned to Ember, and the girl wondered if Anna was thinking about the twins' retelling of their water battle that afternoon.

"Uh...hi...Fred." Anna guessed.

Ember swatted Anna and turned to the twin.

"That's George. George always wears green." She blinked and realized she sound like she had been paying too much attention. "And Fred always wears blue." She breathed in deeply, willing the blush to creep away from her cheeks. "I didn't realize you two were so eager to have your asses handed to you."

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Draco looked over at the unabashed laughter, scowling softly at the Gryffindors. He held a hand up, silencing his followers. He watched as the group moved closer to the lake, a scowl pulling on his features as he watched the Weasley brats dance around Callahan and his sister. A cold anger settled in his stomach, and he pulled out his wand, jerking his head towards the group when he turned to face Crabbe and Goylw.

"Let's go have us a bit of fun, boys."

Callahan was attempting – and failing – to look fierce. She was scowling, demanding that she be left out of whatever ongoing battle Ember and the twins had been in. One of the brats comments that Anna had never been thrown into the lake, and the other suggested they fixed it immediately. They began circling her like wolves would a sheep, and Ember's tinkling laughter reached his ears.

Draco scowled slightly; for some reason, he was bothered by someone else flustering her. No, he realized with a start, that wasn't it. It was the fact two _boys_ were flustering her. Sneering, he gripped his wand, quickening his pace towards the group. He watched as Ember laughed, running up behind one of the twins. She jumped onto his back, making him stumble into the lake. When they surfaced, he laughed and she splashed him, pushing water into his mouth and making him sputter - this just made Ember laugh harder. She noticed him nearing, and she scowled.

"Draco, go bother someone else."

Draco started and glowered at Ember, but it was as good a place as any to start. He needed some reason to yell at the lot of them, and his sister had been more than annoying lately. He fixed Ember with his sneer, and flicked his hair off of his forehead.

"What kind of friend are you, _sister_, to let your friend be ravaged by two men?"

Ember scoffed and pointed at him. "Yeah, because she's _really _being ravaged and _can't_ fend for herself."

Draco scowled, turning to Fred Weasley, who was still standing by Callahan.

"Leave her alone before I deduct house points."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "Oy, someone's missing their ferret food."

Anna semmed speechless, and he couldn't help but think that she would be tolerable if she always kept her place in mind. He turned his scowl to the Weasley standing beside her, pointing his wand as a warning.

"10 points from Gryffindor." Draco snapped.

Draco would _not_ be made a fool of, in front of his followers and more importantly his peers, and _her._

Fred glared; "We were just having a bit of fun. I realize it's a hard concept for you to understand, old boy."

Draco raised his wand slightly. "Shut up, _Weasley._ It's called propriety. I realize that's above _you_ to understand... Harassing girls in public."

Ember blinked, moving closer to George and watching the exchange on land. She was almost as speechless as Anna was, but she knew better than to interrupt Draco. She looked towards the school, sighing as she looked at the huge clock. She climbed out of the lake, drying herself off with a quick flick of her wand. She grabbed Anna's arm and pulled her forward.

"C'mon," She mumbled. "We'll be late for dinner."

She cast a scowl over her shoulder at Draco, who retorted with a sneer. Her eyes narrowed protectively, and Draco was rather taken aback; it was the closest she had come to questioning his authority since he had slapped her over the summer.

"I told you before," She called to him. "You can't have her. She's mine."

Draco watched, seething, as Ember walked off with Anna. He turned his attention to the Weasley twins, who neared him with scowls. His eyebrow arched despite himself – did _no one_ remember their place? He crossed his arms and fixed them with a cool look.

"No one's hurting anyone," One of them said.

"Yet," the wet one added.

"And no one will," The first one continued.

"So long as you stay out of our way," the wet one finished.

Draco watched, speechless at their audacity, as the wet one dried himself quickly with a flick of his wand. Ignoring the snickers of Crabbe and Goyle, Draco followed the twins with his eyes as they marched towards the castle.


	4. Break Me Down

**Chapter Three  
**_(Break Me Down)_

Ember and Anna joined their friends for dinner, and Ember rolled her eyes as conversation of her brother floated to her ears. She tried tuning Harry out, but Anna joined into the conversation, encouraging the boy. Ember tossed a piece of dinner roll at them both, and Harry turned on her with a determined gleam in his eye.

"Draco is up to something," He insisted. "He's on a mission from Voldemort."

Hermione didn't seem all that interested; she shared a looked with Ember, who shrugged a shoulder. Hermione scowled softly, and then rolled her eyes.

"Harry," The girl started, scooping up some mashed potatoes. "Who are you taking to Slughorn's party?"

Harry scowled at the subject change, but didn't provide an answer. In fact, the subject seemed to bring a flush to his cheeks. Ember watched as the boy chewed on the inside of his cheek, and then he fixed Hermione with a scowl.

"What about you?" He shot back.

Hermione looked awkward, not wanting to say who she had chosen, and let the subject drop as the twins made their ways to their seats. They shared looks of annoyance, but ignored Anna and Ember when they asked what their problem was. Hermione and Ginny exchanged a glance, and fixed the small group of Gryffindors with questioning stares. Ember shrugged her shoulders, and then turned to Harry, who had begun talking about Draco again.

"Harry," She called over to him, lowering her voice once she got his attention. "Drop it. As much as I care for my dear brother, I get tired of hearing about him. We already have a plan, and there's nothing we can do about it now. We'll go to the Restricted Section tonight, and be one step closer to figuring out what Ferret Breath is up to."

She nodded in approval of her words, and turned to the feast, reaching for the pudding before anything else. She turned when Hermione clucked her tongue in Ember's direction.

"What?" She demanded, eating a spoonful. "I'm hungry!"

The rest of dinner went by uneventfully; Harry shot moody glances at Ginny's boyfriend, and Lavender Brown kept giggling in Ron's direction. Hermione wasn't pleased was shooting displeased glances in both directions, eager to leave. She was the first to stand up from the table, and she led the group with grumbles and huffs .

They all made their way into the dorm, and all there was left to do was wait until everyone was in bed. Then, all they had to do was sneak past the Prefects, since it was impossible for all of them to fit under Harry's Invisibilty Cloak. Anna paced the room impatiently, wondering what Draco was doing, undoubtedly, and Ginny was watching in amusement. Harry was staring at the Marauder's Map wondering how Draco had disappeared off it. Hermione was fighting with Ron, who wanted to copy her History of Magic homework, and Fred and George were as always, giving Ember a hard time as she finished her homework. Ember stabbed Fred with the end of her quill, rolling up her parchment and swatting George with it.

"I swear," She called out to her friends. "We're an inconspicuous lot, aren't we? For Merlin's sake, all we have to do sneak out of here, sneak past the Prefects – the only ones we really need to do is worry about are the Slytherins, and break into the Restricted Section. Easy as pie." She turned to the Twins and nodded. "Pie. Right? Right."

She stood up, straightening out her black tights and sweater dress, which she had changed into after dinner. "Relax, everyone,"

"Right. Easy as pie. Except that Draco is working for-"

Everyone in the room glared at Harry, and he closed his mouth. Eventually, they all snuck out of the Gryffindor Tower. The halls were already deserted, the portraits on the walls were snoring, and the sound of the staircases moving filled their ears. They all snuck down the stairs, and into the second floor corridor

Ember growled softly as she spotted Draco, who seemed distracted as he walked down the halls. Anna peeked around the corner, and Ember snickered as she heard George whisper in her ear teasingly.

"Isn't it lovely how the candlelight sets his hair?" He asked.

Anne blushed, and Ember smacked George in the arm. They quietly tried to decide the best way of sneaking past him. Ember growled softly under her breath, and ran a hand through her hair. She looked around her and then turned to George, whose arm she had conveniently forgotten to remove her hand from. Ron caught her gaze and smiled brilliantly as he turned to his brothers.

"Please tell me that you and Tweedle Dumber have something in those pockets of yours? I don't care what it is. Just start a distraction over there." He pointed and watched as the twins winked, running over to their assigned spots. "As soon as Draco's attention is diverted, we run like hell into the library. Once we're there, we split up - everyone knows how to get to the Restricted Section? Good." He turned his head, watching as the twins fished something out of their pockets. "Alright, guys, get ready..."

Fred and George threw something out that smelled nothing less than disgusting. They heard coughing and sputtering, and wasted no time before running past him, and darting for the Library. Draco cussed, looking around for the culprit so he could probably curse them into oblivion. The smoke in the air was green and brown, and Ember didn't want to know what went into whatever that horrible bomb was.

After escaping Draco, and the noxious fumes, the walk to the Library was not long. It was getting into the Restricted Section that was going to be the difficult part. Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, were prowling the walkways of the Library. Filch was just waiting to catch a student out of bed, and hoping Dumbledore would finally let him use the old methods of punishing the students.

Ember spotted Ron, who was watching Filch with fear as the old man neared Ron's hiding spot. Ember made a production out of sneezing, darting off as soon as Filch turned her way. She saw Ron rush off out of the corner of her eye, and they met up behind another shelf of books.

"Thanks," He sighed, looking over his shoulder.

Ron turned to her and nodded, and they took off as quickly as they could while remaining silent. The entrance to the Restricted Section entered their line of sight, and Ember grinned in relief. Ron muttered the charm and the gate popped open, fortunately silent. They waited for the others, smiles of victory on their faces.

Eventually, Hermione and George appeared, followed closely by Ginny and Fred. They waited impatiently for Harry and Anna. The two appeared with red faces, looking as if they were trying not to laugh. Ember raised an eyebrow, but her question was answered when she heard Filch grumbling about Peeves and his need to cast random spells.

"That was so exhilarating," Anna whispered in excitement. "It felt like that Mission Impossible movie that the Muggles always talk about."

Ember rolled her eyes, sharing a look with Hermione.

"They're not that great. The guy's old, and the only good part about it is the cool cars."

Ember heard one of the twins mutter something about gorgeous women, and not knowing which one had said it, smacked them both.

"Okay. So we're apparently looking for a cabinet. Uhm..."

She looked around, not having the slightest idea on where to start. Hermione stepped up, and pointed in two different directions. Ember spared the girl a grateful smile as she began instructing the group of Gryffindors on where to search.

"We should probably start with any mention of the store – or Knockturn Alley in general. Ginny, you, Harry, Ron and I will start with that. Fred, George, Ember and Anna, look for _anything_ in the Malfoy's family history about a magic cabinet."

Ember sighed and settled in for the boring part of their mission. The endless reading and trying to find one small clue as to what Draco was up to was beginning to get under Ember's skin. They skimmed through countless books, jumping at small sounds, fully aware that Filch was still out there, prowling around. He gave Ember the creeps. Every now and again, Mrs. Norris would meow and howl, and even though this was normal, Anna made a soft comment about the cat being possessed. Ember hid her laugh behind a hand, trying to muffle the sound.

"A vanishing cabinet." Hermione's soft whisper made Ember jump. "Apparently, they were very popular when Voldemort first came to power. You could enter them, and hide four a few hours during raids, and then pop right back."

Anna chewed her lip and shot Ember and apologetic look before turning to the rest of the Gryffindors.

"Well," she muttered, not meeting Ember's eyes. "Draco did put an apple in there this afternoon. He muttered an incantation, looked inside, closed it, muttered again, and opened the door again. Only that time, he pulled the apple out and it had a bite taken out of it. It didn't make much sense until just now… What would Draco want with a vanishing cabinet?"

Ember rounded on Harry before he could open his mouth, fixing him with a knowing scowl.

"All I know is that he's weird. It's just Draco being odd Draco. He probably found it one night, got bored, and started fiddling around with it. Now that we know _what_ it is, we can keep a closer eye on him."

She dusted off her hands and began putting the books back. They all snuck back through the library, noticed Draco's robe as it disappeared into the bathroom, and dashed to the moving staircase. The Fat Lady began complaining that it was much too late for students with any sense to be prowling around the castle.

Thankfully, the excitement from the night's excursion helped Ember to fall asleep easier than she had the night before. She waited for Anna's soft, deep breathing to make sure the girl wouldn't sneak out again, and then let herself slip into pleasant oblivion.

* * *

"You look awful."

Ember watched Anna's sluggish movements, brushing her hair back into a bun. Anna mumbled something about weird dreams and not sleeping well. Hermione pointed at Anna with her toothbrush and raised an eyebrow from the bathroom.

"Maybe you should see the nurse about getting some Dreamless Draught."

Ember nodded in agreement and pulled on her robe before walking towards the door, grabbing her books along the way. She waited as Hermione rinsed her mouth and joined her by the door.

"We'll be waiting downstairs. Don't make us late for breakfast."

Ember smiled and flounced downstairs, giggling as the twins were picking on Ron about Lavender. Hermione grumbled softly, and Ember spared a sympathetic look her way. Anna joined them shortly, and looked around at the faces of her friends.

"What's going on?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ron fancies Lavendar Brown." George informed her.

Anna snorted; "Lavendar? You could do so much better Ron." Anna said as a thoughtful scowl pulled on her features.

"Whatever," Ember scowled at Ron. "Let's go eat, I'm starving."

Ember dragged Anna out, Fred and George following with Ron. Ember cast a glance over her shoulder, ignoring the way George's hair fell over his forehead and looking at Hermione. The girl was listening to Harry with a clear scowl as he prattled on about their discovery last night. She rolled her eyes, and Ember giggled as Hermione hissed at Harry.

"Yes, I'm sure the world will be completely overwrought when Draco attacks it with _apples_," She growled as they entered the Great Hall. "Honestly, Harry."

Harry fell silent, and Ember noticed his mood brightened considerably when he noticed Ginny already at the table. A scowl passed over his face as he noticed the ever-present Dean Thomas by her side. Hushed whispers of frustration reached their ears, and Ember pretended to not notice the smug grin that crossed Harry's features when the group realized they had walked in on an argument between the couple.

Ember rolled her eyes at her friends. They were so predictable, but she knew she liked it that way. It made her feel safe, and it made her feel secure. She took her place by Hermione, who was glaring over Ron's shoulder at where she knew Lavender Brown was sitting. She hid a laugh behind a cough, pulling a piece of toast onto her plate and nibbling it. She listened as George and Fred went over the problems with their Skiving Snackboxes, and she listened to some of the more practical pieces of candy. She knew that if there would be anymore sneaking around this year – and she knew there would be – the snacks could come in handy.

The students looked up as owls arrived with letters and packages from home. Ember smiled at her mother's owl before it took off and landed again near Draco. She looked down at her mother's familiar handwriting, and broke the seal on the envelope before pulling out the letter. The parchment was thick and cream-colored, and Ember smiled at her own mother's predictability.

_My shining Ember;_

_I hope you're smiling this morning, for you're never fully dressed without one. I am already looking forward to the Christmas holiday, where you and your brother will bring life to these halls once more. _

_I appreciate your concern, angel, but you shouldn't worry yourself over me. Your Aunts Sarah and Courtney and I have been busying ourselves visiting Aunt Jessiey. I'm afraid to admit that if your concerns must focus on someone, they should focus on her. She's been a terrible mess since Sirius was… Well, since Sirius' passing. Little Zoë – who isn't so little anymore – has put her college education on hold to grieve with her mother. The poor souls…_

_Your brother tells me you've been pressing his personal affairs. While, as a woman, I must commend your efforts, I must, as your mother, tell you to relax your questioning. While I worry about Draco myself, I know that he's completely aware of what's expected of him. The Dark Mark is a heavy burden to bear, and with your father gone, Draco must feel alone. I'm not suggesting you support his decisions as a Death Eater, for I can't say I do myself, but I am asking you support his decisions as your brother. The two of you were so close, once – it hurts m heart to see you act like strangers to each other._

_Your Aunts send their love, and look forward to seeing you over Christmas vacation. Keep your head up, your will strong, and your heart open. My love eternally, little lion._

_Mummy_

Ember folded the letter and pocketed it, noticing Anna's blush from her own letter. Ember slipped it from her friend's hand, trying to stifle a laugh as she read the clipping from _Witch's Weekly_, advertising dresses to flatter every figure. She blushed as she noticed a curvy woman wearing a green dress, and risked a glance at George. She handed the clipping back to Anna with a questioning glance.

"My mother believes I don't put as much thought into my appearance as a pureblood should," She scowled softly, pocketing the clipping.

Ember spared the girl any further conversation by turning to Harry, who was glaring across the room at Draco. Ember noticed with a curious scowl that Draco was ignoring Harry completely, choosing instead to stare at Anna's turned head.

"So what do we do now?" She asked Harry, pulling his attention from Draco. "We know _what_ he's using, but not why. What would you suggest?"

Anna and everyone else rolled their eyes; they knew exactly what Harry's thoughts were.

"He's a Death Eater. Voldemort wants him to do something; a mission." Harry said. "I mean, his father _is_ a Death Eater – it only makes sense."

He seemed to startle himself, and then shot an apologetic at Ember, who waved the comment off. Everyone passed ideas around, trying to figure out. Anna sat silently, and Ember wondered if the conversation had hit too close to home for the love sick Gryffindor. Finally, she stirred and turned back to the group.

"Maybe," she agreed with Harry. "Last year Lucius failed getting the Prophesy. Voldemort, I'm sure, wasn't happy. What _if_ Voldemort has given Draco a mission, but means for him to fail? Lucius is cold, but he cares for his family." Here Ron went to protest, but Ember gave him a look that silenced him; "What were to happen if Lucius got word Draco had been killed? Voldemort is back, Lucius is gone and suddenly Draco is acting suspicious. Coincidence?"

Ember squirmed uncomfortably in her seat; the conversation was hitting to close to home for _her_ now. She regretted bringing up the subject, and tried to find a way to delicately shut it down as soon as possible.

"If my father got word that Draco had been killed," Carrie answered, "He'd know Voldemort had done it. And Voldemort would lose one hell of a supporter. I'll tell you what, Lucius Malfoy is a force to be reckoned with." She finished with a nod, grabbing another piece of toast and biting into it, waving it around and talking with her mouth full. "Voldemort needs support now more than ever. Getting Draco killed won't do that."

Anna shook her head. "_True_, but Voldemort is arrogant, and proud. It would be a cut at Lucius, a… "you failed me, so fuck you, I'll kill your son," kind of thing. Voldemort thinks he's all powerful - he doesn't think he _needs anyone_," Anna said pointedly, Anna dug her fork into her eggs, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed before saying; "Why does evil had to be so damn sexy?"

Ember, Ron and Harry looked horrified, and Fred and George were feigning looking distressed. Anna shrugged a shoulder and then stiffened as if someone had tapped her shoulder. She turned in her seat, a scowl immediately painting her features. Ember curiously followed her gaze, and her eyebrows rose as Pansy Parkinson glaring scornfully at her friend.

Ember turned and picked up a piece of sausage, turning to throw it at Pansy. It landed in her hair, and she shrieked. Ember doubled over with laughter, leaning to the side. When she wiped the tears from her eyes, she realized she was leaning on George. Rather than blush and get up, she playfully kissed his cheek and blew another kiss at Fred.

"Don't worry, you two, you're still my favorite gorgeous, evil men," She nodded and hugged them both.

xxxxxxxxxx

Draco hated Divination. He had spent the majority of the class pretending to interpret dreams while he inwardly laughed at Ember's display of authority that morning at breakfast. It had been his only chance to smile, because just before the end of class, Blaise Zabini had leaned towards him to ask how his _mission_ was going. Dread had settled into his stomach, gripping his lungs like an iron fist.

He had tried warding off the feeling throughout Potions, but had only succeeded in making himself feel constipated. Slughorn had ignored his sour expression, sparing only one curious glance his way the entire class. He had wished Callahan would follow Slughorn's example and stop staring at him; he didn't care for the way her stares made him feel vulnerable.

Before heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Draco knew he had to collect himself. He couldn't very well walk into Snape's classroom and face him, sniveling like a little first year. He turned off into the second floor bathroom and stare at himself in the mirror. He didn't look like Draco Malfoy, confident Slytherin legacy. He looked strange to himself; he was pale, shaking, and he could see a thin layer of nervous sweat beading his forhead.

Moaning Myrtle's head popped up from the drain in a sink, and she crossed her arms to prop her chin on them. He tried ignoring her, but her stare penetrated him and made him shake. Her stare was expectant, and he finally turned to her, whirling around with a scowl that his heart wasn't into.

"Everyone's expecting me to stand tall in my father's shoes," He sputtered, collapsing onto his knees in front of the ghost. "They expect me to be this cool, collected man, just like my father was – cold and unfeeling. I'm only sixteen, Myrtle – I'm not ready to be the man of our house yet."

"What about your sister?" Myrtle moaned softly. "Does she feel the same way?"

"Ember?" He almost scoffed, choking on tears he tried hiding. "She's clueless – and she needs to stay that way. Our family's in enough trouble as it is. I can't involve her anymore by giving her details."

"Which details are they?"

Draco looked blankly at the ghost and scowled softly. He had no idea why he was babbling to Myrtle. Her wide eyes watched him carefully, and her face was pinched into one of genuine concern. He saw the piteous look she gave him, and it pulled the tears from his eyes. He let them flow freely; he was crying in frustration, anger, and more than anything, fear.

"I can't _tell_ you," He sobbed. "I can't tell _anyone_! I'm completely alone in this, and that's just what he wanted! I'm alone, and no one can help me, because everyone's expecting me to _fail_. They all _want_ me to fail!"

Myrtle's head jerked off of her arms and she slipped back down the drain as the bathroom door swung open. He quickly stood and washed his face with cool water, hoping his red eyes wouldn't give his secret away. He glanced behind his shoulder through the mirror, his scowl taking place as he spotted the person who had entered.

He whipped around, in a panic, a sneer on his face. He pulled out his wand, walking towards Callahan with quick steps. Before she could react, he slammed her against the wall, placing the wand to her throat. He was much taller than her, at least by a foot, but the way she studied him unnerved him. Her breathing quickened, and Draco concluded with a smirk that this girl was hell-bent on getting herself into dangerous situations for the hell of it.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" He snarled, more a demand than a question.

Anna said nothing, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Draco smiled; she was afraid - good. Then it would keep her away; it was better than her mixing with the wrong sort, and getting herself killed. Now, she knew what she was dealing with.

"You won't tell anyone, _will_ you?" He repeated.

"I won't." She said.

Draco leaned in closer, as if to kiss her, and then pulled away laughing, as if amused by the very thought.. Draco ignored his own sense of denial that it might be nice to kiss her; after all, it would not be so deplorable. She was a pureblood, unlike those mudblood friends of hers; and she just proved she knew how to take orders. He pocketed his wand and stepped away from her.

"What are you up to?" She asked.

Draco glared. "Mind your tongue, Callahan. Stay out of my business matters."

She said nothing else, her eyes widening slightly. They stood there in silence, her against the wall, staring at him, and Draco smoothing out his robes. With one last glance her way, he turned abruptly and left. Had he not had these 'business matters' to attend to, he might have asked her to accompany him on the Hogsmeade trip that was just around the corner.

He snarled at himself for entertaining such notions. He had not time for love and useless pity.


	5. Plotting is a Girl's Best Friend

**Chapter Four  
**_(Plotting Is A Girl's Best Friend)_

Ember laughed as George swung her up onto her back. They walked into the Common Room that way, with a sour Fred and Dean Thomas behind them. Hermione looked up from her book with eyebrows raised, and Ember laughed again, hitching her legs tighter around George's waist.

"They thought they could best us in a Dungbomb battle," George explained, reaching his hand up for a high five.

"Is that why they smell like the garbage chute?" Hermione's nose wrinkled, but she smiled.

"Damn right it is," Ember nodded, slapping hands with George. "Where's Anna?"

"_She's_ in class," Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Which is where you're supposed to be. Anna told me about your _stomach ache_ during Divination."

Ember had the sense to look ashamed, but Hermione couldn't hide her smile. The girl closed her book and stood, gathering her books to her chest and telling Ember she'd meet her in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ember, George, and Fred all exchanged surprised looks, but said nothing as they followed her out.

Ember rode on George's back down to Snape's class, giving him one last high five and a hug before she took her normal seat. She turned and watched in amusement as Anna rushed in, her cheeks flushed and her hair wild.

"Where have you been?" Ember asked, ignoring the glare Snape gave her after he had begun talking.

She turned to him, plastering an innocent smile on her face and blowing him a kiss. His face turned a dangerous red, and she knew he was about to deduct house points, but Draco stalked in then, drawing the Professor's attention away. Draco scowled her way, and sat on the completely opposite end of the classroom. Ember narrowed her eyes and fixed them on Anna.

"What?" The girl asked, feigning innocence.

"You're meddling," Ember hissed, slapping her friend's leg. "Stop meddling! Bad things happen to people who meddle." She shot her glare over her shoulder to Draco before turning back to Anna. "Especially those who meddle in Malfoy affairs. Do you have a death wish, Miss Evel Knievel?"

She scowled and turned her attention to Snape. She didn't really want to pay attention, but she was royally burned at her friend's gallivanting about behind her and Draco's back. Again. After she had told her not to. _Again_. She huffed out her frustration and settled in for class.

Anna kept glancing at Ember sourly, chewing on her lip. Ember tried ignoring her, but every once in a while would turned to glare at her. Anna sighed and turned towards the window, and Ember noticed the tension in her friend's shoulders. A small smirk crossed her features when she realized her friend was getting the point. Only a few minutes of peace later, Anna tugged on Ember's sleeve and pointed out the window.

Ember brushed her friends hand away, but when she saw the snow, her heart melted. It was hard to stay made at her friend when the sky was leaking fun. She smiled softly, but looked sternly at Anna. She pointed to her friend, then to Draco, and then shook her head no. She then raised her eyebrow in question, gathering her books and putting them in her bag to wait for class to be dismissed. Another ten minutes, and they'd be out of Snape's hellhole.

Anna pouted, and made no promises. Knowing her, she'd break them anyway. The class lasted for ten more minutes, and Anna began whining about their next class, hoping Potions would go by quickly and easily. Hermione reminded her that by the time Potions was over, there would probably already be a thick blanket of snow on the ground, because of how heavily it was coming down. Anna sighed, but agreed and they walked into Slughorn's class. Hermione was glaring at Harry, who was purposely ignoring her and clinging to his old copy of Advanced Potions Making, like it was his life line.

Ember flicked glances towards Harry and Hermione, shrugging her shoulders at Anna. They settled in, learning that they'd be making Narcissum today, designed to make a person reveal all of their strengths and weaknesses. Ember sniggered, making a joke with Harry about slipping it into Draco's pumpkin juice at breakfast the next morning. Harry chuckled, and then dove into his work with extra fervor. Ember shook her head, finishing the potion and waiting for Slughorn to dismiss class. He finally did, and Ember grabbed Anna's arm, pulling her and their friend up to the dorm so they could change into proper clothes. She pulled Hermione and Anna downstairs, stopping to tell the Weasleys and Harry to come outside for a snowball fight.

Anna raced down the moving stairwells; Ember knew that winter was her friend's favorite time of the year. The group bumped into a few students who looked put out, but nothing could bring their moods down. They made it to the grounds, and Ember watched as Anna walked out, immediately running past the courtyard and into the snowy pastures. The girl ran right into Draco, who had been talking with Crabbe and Goyle. They both went rolling down the hill, sliding through the snow, stopping only when they reached the bottom.

Ember and Hermione stopped short, doubling over in laughter as they watched Anna tumble into Malfoy and roll down the hill. Ember lost her breath as someone slammed into her back, pushing them down the hill as well.

"Fred Weasley, you insufferable ass! Watch where you're going!" Ember cried out, laughing and pushing him off of her.

Anna got up, blushing, seeming a little confused. She looked over at her friends, laughing as George followed them down the hill. Hermione laughed, walking down it, followed by Harry, and a whining Ron.

"It's ruddy freezing!"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's why it's snowing," she said, kicking snow up at Ron.

Harry sniggered, and Ron glowered. The red head picked up a handful of snow, and then threw a snowball at Harry's head. He tried, in any case – Harry ducked, and the snow hit Hermione's shoulder.

"Ronald!" Hermione glared, bending down to get a snowball.

"This means war!" The twins cried out.

Snowballs went flying immediately. Anna ducked, barely missing a whizzing ball of snow past her head. She found a boulder and ducked behind it, making her snowballs and tossing them. One hit George right in the face, and Anna sniggered.

Ember giggled, and ran up to Anna's sanctuary, a pile of snow in her hand. She quickly reached down and pulled the back of Anna's shirt away from her neck, dropped the snow down her back, and ran away, giggling hysterically. She felt something smack into the back of her leg, and she whirled, seeing Hermione giggling just as wildly. She reached down, made a quick snow ball, and chucked it at Hermione, who ducked. Ember squealed as the ball landed right on George's shoulder. She doubled over in laughter.

"Polar bear plunge?" She heard Anna call out. "What's _that_?"

Fred laughed, and Hermione and Ginny shivered at the mental image. Ron immediately launched into complaints about how cold it already was, and Fred and George suddenly flanked his sides.

"It seems our dear brother, is a chicken of sorts." Fred said.

"I agree," George replied as Ron glared.

"What do you have to do?" Anna asked.

"Dive into icy cold water," Ember told her, amused.

"Isn't the giant squid in there?"

"We're not having him swim that far out, Anne," Ember laughed.

"I'll do it. Sounds kind of thrilling," Anna called out, shrugging out of her coat.

Carried rolled her eyes. "What is with you and dares and adrenaline rushes?"

Fred snickered, "A girl is braver than you, Ron."

Ron glared, and started to take his jacket off. Anna removed her shoes and turned, glaring at the twins with a pointed finger.

"If I die because of that Squid, I will haunt your asses."

Ember shook her head and stared at her friend. Anna looked as if she wanted to back out, but there was one rule of thumb to being in Gryffindor: never accept a challenge from Fred and George Weasley. Anna looked at the lake in doubt, and Ember sighed. There was no way her friend was backing down now – she was much too proud for that. The twins turned and looked at Ember pointedly, and she laughed as she shook her head.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, and no. I have much more common sense than that. You all have fun. I'll go over here and talk to Hermione about the Yule Ball they're having this year."

Ember stepped slowly away from the Lake, watching with wide eyes as Ron jumped in. Two seconds had passed before the boy broke the surface again, his lips blue and shaking. He made his way as quickly as he could, glaring at his older brothers with contempt.

"I-i d-d-d-don't s-see you t-two jumping in-n-n," He shivered, climbing quickly out of the water.

Hermione took pity on him, and charmed the boy dry and warm. Ron looked ten times better immediately, and Ember and Hermione rushed over to hug him back to warmth.

"Like I said," Ember repeated. "Much more common sense."

The weight of someone's gaze settled on her shoulders. Ember stiffened suddenly, and it wasn't the sudden gust of cold wind that blew across her face. She pulled away from Ron, and watched as George and Fred simultaneously looked up. She followed their gaze, and when she spotted Draco in the owl tower, she scowled and flipped him off. She wasn't going to let him ruin her day. He sneered down at her, and then turned to leave her sight. She scooped up a handful of snow, ran up, and shoved it in Fred's face.

"That's for making them jump into the lake like a bunch of twits, you bloody idiot."

"It was kind of fun, anyway," Anna giggles, as she looked up at the clock and sighed; "It's Transfiguration with McGonagall."

Fred and George grinned, turning to Ron, who immediately turned green. They jostled hi, bumping their shoulders into his as they walked.

"I dare you to ask McGonagall out," George snickered.

Hermione glared, walking towards the castle and muttering about boys and their pointless dares.

"No," She finally snapped.

"It seems Hermione has spoken," Fred said.

"Ickle-Ronnie-kins has submitted himself to a lifetime of 'yes, dear's," George added.

Ron blushed. "What makes you think I'd date _Hermione_ of all people?"

"He's so cute when he blushes," George sniggered, watching as Ron followed Hermione into the castle. Ember rolled her eyes at the exchange, and pointed at the laughing terrors.

"Just remember, you're going to be back in diapers and he'll be the only one able to take care of you," She hissed at the boys. "Besides - you're just jealous that you haven't found a woman to 'yes, dear' to." She huffed, feeling rather angry for some reason, and grabbed Anna's arm. "Come on, or we're going to be late."

They started jogging to class, making it just before McGonagall walked in. Ember sighed with relief, sitting in her seat and trying to control her breathing. Transfigurations was mostly tolerable; for some reason, McGonagall was one of Ember's favorite teachers. The lecture about animagi and shape-shifting went by smoothly.

Ember focused her attention on the lecture, but began working the back part of her brain to smother her bad mood. By dinner time, George was trying to make gestures across the table, because Ember had decided to sit as far away from the Twins as possible. He even went as far as to pout at her. Ember tried her hardest to remain angry, and Harry sighed, pulling her attention to something else.

"Ron, are you ready for Qudditch tomorrow morning?"

Ron looked positively sick; he looked up and saw Lavendar Brown blow a kiss at him. Hermione's face turned suspiciously red.

"You'll do fine, Ron." Hermione said, patting Ron's shoulder.

Draco passed by their table, and Hermione's comment pulled his attention to the group of friends. An arrogant smirked lit his face, and Ember tried to ignore the way Anna turned red at his presence.

"I see Slytherin winning the Qudditch Cup this year; with that oaf playing."

"Shove off Malfoy." Harry snapped.

"I see a greasy Ferret face getting his nose punched in if he doesn't keep his fat nose out of other peoples' business!" Ember shouted, earning looks from most of the Great Hall. She whipped back around in her seat, glaring at Anna. "Tell you boyfriend to keep his mouth shut before I shut it for him."

She got up from the table, suddenly losing her appetite. She threw her final glare at George, and hissed.

"I've got homework to do."

Ember grabbed her books, and stormed off to the library. Once she got there, she slammed herself into a chair, holding her head in her hands. What was her problem, she wondered. She sighed and grumbled. Just because George was trying to do everything in his power to not notice her romantically didn't mean she had to bite everyone's head off. She grumbled again and stared at the table.

The library closed in around her, and Ember felt restless. Her feet were itching to move, and her eyes caught the snow falling outside of the window. With a smug grin, she decided that perhaps the library wasn't the best place to work her anger off, after all. She grabbed her shoulder bag and skipped down the stairs, rushing towards the door to the grounds like it was her last chance of escape.

The next hour was full of thoughtful questions to which the answers always escaped her. She wondered how she had ended up in a position that required her to choose between her friends and her family – between what was right, and what was expected. She wondered if her friends would _ever_ learn to accept her family, as her mother's friends had her father's. She wondered what her brother was up to, and somehow already knew what the answer to that question was. Most of all, she wondered how she could break Anna's obsession with the dangerous boy.

Her feet were frozen, and her footsteps muffled in the snow. Her hands were going numb and she decided to head inside. She didn't feel much better, just colder. She knew, however, she at least wouldn't have another outburst like she did at dinner. Perhaps she was on the rag. The excuse was plausible enough for her, so she took it and ran with it. She imagined herself turning into a dragon and chasing Draco around with a line of fire coming from her mouth. She giggled and entered the common room, seeing her friends scattered about.

"Hey," Anna greeted with a small smile. "Are you okay?"

Ember nodded and sat down next to her friend, watching the fire silently. She noticed Anna as she turned her head, and then turned back to Ember with a sly smile. Ember narrowed her eyes and lifted an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I think George misses you." Anna winked.

"Did you tell your boyfriend to keep his mouth shut?"

Ember blushed, ignoring Anna's comment about George. Anna blushed as well, and Ember smirked. She couldn't help, however, to peek through her hair and catch a glimpse of George. There was a soft scowl on his face, but he was staring intently at the game of Wizard's Chess in front of him. Fred mumbled something, and George smacked him, causing Ember to smile softly at the boys.

"Oh, no. That's right, how will he kiss you passionately if his mouth is closed?" Ember teased, causing her friend to turn ten different shades of red.

"So," Anna cleared her throat, looking for a subject change. "Where were you?"

"Oh," Ember smiled, stretching out on the couch and putting her feet in Anna's lap. "I started out in the library. But then, as I went to reach for a book, another hand brushed mine and sent tingles up my spine. We met each other's gaze, and I felt fireworks. He smiled, I smiled, and we went for a walk on the grounds in the snow." Ember winked at Anna, leaning closer but not lowering her voice. "And he had the most brilliant idea for keeping our lips warm, you know."

Ember leaned back, resting her back against the arm of the couch, and couldn't keep the smirk off of her face as she heard Hermione, in the chair near the two girls, giggle rather girlishly.

"Was it magical?" Hermione asked her, and Ember turned to her with a mock girlish grin.

"Nothing but."

Ember couldn't help but feel proud at the scowl crossing George's features as her words reached his ears.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The next day came quickly; both Ember and Anna rushed out of their dorm, ready to watch the Quidditch match that day and root for Gryffindor. Ember had been a little hard to get out of bed, but Anna had coaxed her out with the image of watching George play Quidditch. Ember tried to pretend she didn't care but she did. She wrapped a scarf around her face as they entered the stands. The girls had never wanted to play Quidditch, but it was entertaining enough to watch.

As soon as the cold air had hit Ember's lungs, she was instantly awake. She could see her breath every time she shouted, but she didn't care. Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff - not their biggest rival, but still fun to watch. She watched as George and Fred hit the bludger back and forth, letting out an excited shout at a particularly brutal hit that sent the Hufflepuff Chasers scattering, making one of them drop the ball. She let out another cry when Gryffindor recovered the ball, zooming past the Keeper and throwing it through the goal hoop. She jumped up and down with Hermione and Anna, rooting for their friends and house.

The wind whipped around as players on their broomsticks whizzed past; Lee Jordan, the commentator was yelled at several times for showing favoritism – Anna and Ember thought it was hilarious. George seemed to show off a lot more in this game than before, and when the game had first started he had purposely sought out Ember; he had tried, but failed, to be covert about it, earning a heckle from Fred.

The friends watched as the quaffle came flying at Ron, and he blocked it. Cheers from the crowd roared, and Ember could tell it had boosted his ego. Of course, Ember thought with a sly smirk, it could have been the Liquid Luck that Harry led Ron to believe he had drunk that morning. Lavender Brown, a few seats away from Anna, Hermione, and Ember, cupped her mouth and shouted.

"_Come on, Ron_!"

The game ended, leaving Gryffindor with another victory closer to winning the Quidditch Cup. Students gathered in the common room for the following celebration; the Gryffindors cheered for Ron, singing "Weasley Is Our King" as loud as their already hoarse throats would allow them to. Ember nudged Anna and pointed at Lavender Brown, who was pushing her way through the crowd of students. The girls watched, appalled, as she threw her arms around Ron, planting a firm kiss on his mouth; Hermione looked absolutely devastated. Ember shot them a disgusted look and tugged on Ron's hair.

"Get a fucking room, would you? You blind ass twit."

She rushed over to Hermione and pushed her anger at Ron aside, holding her close. The girl pulled away and stormed off, and Ember shot a pleading glance at Harry, who obligingly followed. Ember threw a punch at Ron, who barely stopped kissing Lavender long enough to say ouch. They left too, and Ember paced around the common room before flopping in front of the fire.

"I swear," She called over to Anna. "Some men are so dense."

With a scowl, Ember brooded silently. George had gone from trying to get her attention, to leaving her alone. Apparently, hard-to-get didn't work with George. It was hard to tell if he was just missing a friend, like someone who was a sister to him, or if he saw her as something more than platonic. Ember laid back on the couch finally with a huff.

"And they said _women_ are complicated. Please." She snorted.

There was a long silence, before Anna stirred and mumbled, almost under her breath.

"I wonder what Draco's doing."

Ember rolled her eyes; she was surrounded by nutters. Anna and Draco needed to snog already, and Ron was blind to the fact that Hermione loved him – and even more blind to the fact that he loved her, too. Harry wanted to rip apart Ginny's boyfriend every second of the day, and she couldn't get George to notice her romantically. It was turning into the Hogwarts Soap Opera, and Ember couldn't say she liked it. She groaned. Who knew that being a teenager was so complicated? Oh right, she concluded with a smug smirk - everyone. Suddenly, her eyes popped open and she turned to Anna.

"Anna!" She breathed with sudden excitement, pulling her friend up to their dorm and leaning against the door once she closed it. "Anna, do you still have that clipping from your mom?" She looked it over once her friend retrieved it, and smiled. "Anna, my darling, I believe the time has come for a bit of a shopping spree." She giggled with her sudden image of the two at the Yule Ball. "The Hogsmeade trip is tomorrow - we'll go all out. Dresses, make up, hair products. Oh, Anna, they won't be able to keep their eyes off of us!"


	6. Dirty Little Secret

**Chapter Five**_  
(Dirty Little Secret)_

The wind whipped Ember's hair around her face, unrelenting in its fury as the group of Gryffindor girls made their way into the town of Hogsmeade. They poked light-hearted fun at Anna, who had been a terror to get out of bed that morning. The shy Gryffindor pulled her shoulders up to her ears abashedly, and Ember threw her arm around Anna's shoulder, pulling her close and giggling. Hermione and Ginny were babbling about what shop to go to first, and Anna brightened immediately at the reminder of their shopping excursion.

"Let's go to Gladrags first," Anna nodded towards the clothing shop. "Then… Cosmetics from the Cosmos. And then... Oh, a nice Butter Beer."

The girls murmured in agreement, turning towards the clothing store. Ember let out a startled yelp as George and Fred whizzed past. She stepped away from Anna, who had jumped to cling to her. She grimaced at their maniacal laughter and turned to her friends.

"Remind me to stop by Zonko's to get more Dungbombs. Maybe Ron will smuggle them into their beds for me." Ember turned to Anna with an exaggerated sigh and a wide smile. "Well?" She asked, holding out her arm. "Shall we?"

As the girls stepped forward, Ember noticed her brother sulking in the shadows. Pansy Parkinson was chattering away incessantly, and Ember's smirk turned smug when she noticed her brother's annoyed scowl. His narrowed eyes followed the twins as they disappeared in Zonko's, and then they snapped back to meet Ember's. His sneer told her exactly what he thought of her friends, and Ember restrained herself from punching him. Instead, she let Anna lead her towards Gladrags.

Once the warmth of the shop touched the girls, they went wild. Anna, Hermione and Ginny scattered, promising to meet Ember by the fitting rooms to try on dresses. Smiling, Ember lightly brushed her fingertips along a dress in front of her. She was admiring the beadwork when jerky movement caught her eye. She looked up and scowled when she saw Draco again, and frowned in slight confusion as he left his followers and Pansy. The three looked after him with stupid expressions, and Ember lost sight of him as he headed into the Three Broomsticks. Shaking her head at her own concern, she looked back down at the dress in front of her and smiled.

A flash of red pulled her head up as Ginny raced from one side of the room to the other. Hermione, in the furthest corner from Ember, was taking her time on deciding on her dress. She studied the material as if she were studying for an exam, and an exasperated smile pulled at Ember's mouth. She almost laughed when she saw Anna's disgruntled expression; the girl was holding up two very modest, conservative dresses, and Ember shook her head, snickering. Anna looked up and shot her a pleading glance.

"Help me."

Giggling, the two girls made their way around the shop, stopping at almost every other dress to inspect it closer. In the end, they made their way to the dressing rooms with three dresses each. Hermione and Ginny were already there, an impatient look on both of their faces as they waited to try their dresses on.

"We'll all come out together, then?" Ginny smiled as the others nodded, and slipped into her dressing room. "No peeking!"

Grinning like a nutter, Ember entered her own dressing room and hung the three dresses on the hook behind the door. She slid out of her clothes, her flesh breaking out into goose bumps as soon as the protection of her sweater fell away. She pulled the first dress off of its hanger and held it up by the straps before slipping into it. She looked herself over and pulled a face; the jade green halter top didn't look as good on her as she thought it would. With reluctance, she pulled the door open and joined Ginny outside of the dressing room.

"I like that one," Ember smiled at Ginny's choice of a peach floor-length gown.

"I don't," She mumbled, her nose wrinkling.

Hermione and Anna joined them at the same time, and they all turned with a gasp at Anna, who was picking at the hem of her dress. The strapless red number did wonders with Anna's complexion and hair, and the Gryffindor simply glowed in it. All at once, Hermione, Ginny and Ember began fawning over her, cooing and complimenting that blushing girl.

"Who are you," Hermione laughed softly, "And what have you done with Anna Callahan?"

"Oh, Anne, it's lovely," Ginny crooned.

"I don't think you need to try on the others," Ember smiled. "This one already has my vote."

Anna blushed furiously as Ginny and Hermione agreed. Ember watched as her friend turned to look at herself in the tri-fold mirror, spinning slowly to look at her back. She craned her neck to get a better look at herself, and her embarrassed blush turned into a pleased flush as she accepted her friends' compliments. Leaving Anna to admire herself, Ember, Hermione and Ginny slipped back into their dressing rooms, changing into the next dress.

Ember left her room when she heard the other doors creaking open. She flushed happily at Anna's shocked stare, and spun slowly when her friend's face split into a grin. She joined her friend at the mirror and smiled at their contrasting dresses. Where Anna's was short, red, and sleeveless, Ember's was a deep forest green with a corset top, and a flowing, gauzy bottom and off-the-shoulder sleeves.

"I really like that one," Anna smiled at Ember through the mirror and then dropped her voice. "George won't be able to take his eyes off of you."

"Shove off," Ember hissed, slapping her friend's arm playfully.

An hour later, the girls had gone through dozens of dresses, even more pairs of shoes, and had finally decided on their purchases. Ember had gone with the corset topped dress, Anna the short red one, and Hermione had chosen a pale blue, halter neck dress that clung to her body and made the lithe girl seem curvier than she really was. Ginny chose a modest, deep blue dress, knne-length, that set her eyes off wonderfully. With their dresses and shoes in bags, the Gryffindor girls sauntered out of the clothier and made their way towards the specialty cosmetics shop.

Cosmetics from the Cosmos had everything from bronzers to blushes, and even had a small section for accessories. Giggling, the girls experimented on each other, wiping their faces clean after every new look to start over. After looking like a clown, a cat, a horse, and a lamb, Ember finally chose the cosmetics that best suited her and her dress. She and Anna made their way over to the accessories, and held earrings and other jewelry up to each other.

"_Dahling_," Anna drawled, turning her nose up and looking as if she smelled something awful. "Those pearls are to _die_ for."

"But those rubies are simply _stunning_," Ember purred, mimicking Anna's expression. "The way they catch the light – _marvelous_, darling, _marvelous_."

Hermione and Ginny turned from the cosmetics counter and joined them, exchanging looks that stated clearly what they thought of their friends' sanity. Giggling, the four purchased their makeup and jewelry and left the store, toting their packages behind them as they crossed the small town and entered The Three Broomsticks.

Ginny bid them adieu, weaving her way through the patrons until she found Dean. Anna, Hermione and Ember found themselves a table in the corner of the pub, and settled in, basking in the warmth. As they ordered their Butter Beers, Ember noticed she couldn't keep her foot from jiggling under the table. Even though the Yule Ball was a little over a month away, buying their 'supplies' had tripled Ember's excitement. The flush in her friends' cheeks told her that her sentiments were shared among the group.

"…better than fourth year."

The girls looked up to see Harry and Ron enter the pub, and they waved their greeting as the boys joined them at the table. As the barmaid returned with the girls' drinks, Harry and Ron put in their own order for the warm refreshment. Hermione turned to the boys and fixed them with her quizzical look.

"What's better than fourth year?" She pressed.

Ron pointed to a bag by his feet, and the girls leaned over the table to get a look. They could see the course, dark material of his "new" dressrobes. Ron sunk low into his seat and groaned, his ears coloring to match his hair. Harry lifted a shoulder and smiled good-naturedly.

"They really _are_ better than the ones he had in fourth year," The boy offered.

Ron's morale seemed to lift at Harry's comment, and he straightened in his seat. Ember smiled reassuringly, and then caught sight of a moving shadow. When she let her eyes focus on the furtive figure, she could make out Draco's form as he slipped out of the shadows. Her eyebrows pulled together, and he turned to meet her gaze. His face blanched and then melted into his usual sneer, and Ember resisted the urge to throw her half-full mug at his head.

Ron's groan pulled her attention from her brother, and she noticed with slight panic that he was turning an alarming color. She followed his gaze, which was locked on a point past her shoulder, and almost laughed when she saw what had caught Ron's attention – and disapproval. Ginny and Dean were sharing a small booth, their heads closer than Ron would have liked. Ember's eyebrows rose as they leaned in for a kiss… and didn't move away.

"What?" Hermione scoffed, swallowing the last of her Butter Beer. "She's just kissing him."

"It's wrong to have to watch my sister with some bloke's tongue down her throat," He muttered, still looking sick.

"Well," Hermione retorted softly. "What if you were kissing me? Would you want her to look away?"

An awkward but not entirely uncomfortable silence fell over the table, which Harry fixed by waving Professor Slughorn over. Ember groaned softly to herself, and pretended to be interested as Slughorn invited Harry to a private dinner party later in the week. As the professor left, Harry sat down with a smug grin. Hermione downed her second Butter Beer, looking flushed at the invitation also extended to her. Ron looked even more sour than he had, muttering about how the Potions teacher had muddled his name. His grumbling caused Ember to smile, and she quickly forgot about her brother lurking around.

After two more rounds of drinks and pleasant conversation, the friends paid their tab and stood to leave the pub. The girls waved good bye to Ginny, but the boys tried their hardest not to look in her direction. They smiled at Katie Bell and her friend, who left ahead of them, and then followed the two girls out.

As they made their way along the path towards Hogwarts, their bags in hand, Hermione threw her arms around Harry and Ron, giggling and declaring her love for her friends. Ember and Anna exchanged bemused glances, and Ember wondered about the exact proportions of beer to butter. The musing made her giggle, and she blamed it on Hermione's contagious joy.

"Katie, stop – don't touch that!"

Ember couldn't hear Katie's reply, but the worry in her friend's voice was easily detectable. The friends looked on in mild curiosity, and Harry nodded tersely towards the object of worry. Katie's smile was bemused, and she shook her head at her friend's concern. She bent down to pick up the package that she had dropped, and Ember could only see a bit of blue before Katie's hand covered it. As soon as she touched it, her body convulsed as she let out a terrible howl of pain.

"Somebody help!"

Katie, now on the ground, was being pulled through the snow with quick, jerky movements by hands that Ember couldn't see. She felt herself inch closer to Anna, whose hand reached out to grab Ember's arm. The group of friends gasped as Katie was lifted into the air, her arms out to her sides and her hair whipping wildly around her head. Her mouth was open in a silent shriek, and her eyes sent shivers down Ember's spine. As soon as it had begun, Katie fell to the ground, convulsing as though she were having a seizure.

The friends rushed forward as a group, only to stop short as they heard Hagrid's orders for people blocking his path to move out of the way. He paused only a second when he saw Katie on the ground, and then grabbed her into his arms, turning quickly to bark orders at Harry.

"Bring the necklace," He growled, and then thought better of his words, adding, "Pick it up by the wrapper, _only_."

xxxxxxxxx

"It was Malfoy – I'm sure of it!"

Ember stood silently beside Hermione, her eyes glued to her feet as Harry accused her brother of cursing the necklace. She heard Anna's sharp intake of breath, and even Hermione and Ron looked at Harry a bit warily. Professors Snape and McGonagall rounded on him, anger on the former's face, and shock on the latter's.

"Mister Potter, that is quite an accusation!"

Harry argued his surety – and sanity – and was cut off as Snape neared him, looking almost threatening as he stared down his nose at the group. His eyes raked over them all, incredulous, until he finally glared at Harry, sneering openly.

"How great it must be," He hissed, straightening, "To be the Chosen One."

The group of Gryffindors fell silent, and Ember's mouth fell open in slight shock. McGonagall was looking from Snape, to Harry, and then back again, and quickly dismissed the five friends. Ember's mind was reeling, the determination written in the set of her jaw. She promised her friends that she would meet them in the common room soon, but had some private matters to attend to. Her friends asked no questions, for which Ember was grateful, and she took off towards the Grand Staircase, flying down the flights of stairs until she reached the dungeons. She followed the corridor until she came to the correct spot in the wall. She turned with a scowl, and spit out the first thing that came into her mine.

"Pure blood."

There was a moment of silence where Ember's heart pounded in her chest, and she shivered when a whispering, raspy voice emanated from the walls and pulled her skin into goose bumps.

"You… are not… Slytherin," The voice hissed, its 's' sounds exaggerated. "You… have no business… here."

Ember stomped her foot on the marble floor of the dungeon corridor, and glared at the wall with her arms crossed. She felt rather stupid, arguing with a wall, but had no other choice. She fixed her determined glare to the wall again, and narrowed her eyes threatening.

"Slytherin or not, I am of pure blood," She hissed back at it. "I am a _Malfoy_, dammit, and I will _not_ be denied."

There was a resigned sighing sound, but Ember passed it off as the wall folding in on itself to reveal a short but spacious passageway. She stalked the length of it, entering the Slytherin common room and startling a group of first years from their game of Exploding Snaps. They looked at her in wonder, and she cast them a seething glance.

"Where's Draco?"

That only added to their confusion. They began to babble incoherently, and Ember groaned, holding a hand up to silence them. The few occasions she had been to the Slytherin common room had been unpleasant; the arguments with her brother served well to clear the common room of all audience; here, if nowhere else, Ember Ayr Malfoy was a force to be reckoned with. She sucked in a breath and reveled in the way the first years winced.

"_Draco Lucius Malfoy_!"

Her bellow sent the first years scattering, and she heard the satisfying sound of a door being opened in annoyance. Her brother stalked down the stairs and stopped short at the sight of his seething sister. Crabbe and Goyle, ever the loyal followers, paled as they spotted her. She watched Draco's arrogant sneer paint his features, and smirked at his two cronies.

"Do you have a purpose in being here, _sister_, or is the only purpose to ruin my evening?"

Draco stepped off of the last stair, and glided gracefully over to her. Crabbe and Goyle inched their way forward, and she almost laughed as they attempted to look menacing. She resisted the urge to fake a lunge at them; the image of them starting and running for their dorm only served to make her smirk wider. She fixed her eyes on her brother, and crossed her arms.

"You're playing a dangerous game here, Draco," She hissed, her smirk gone now as her purpose was brought to the light. "You're going to get someone killed."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're inferring, Ember."

The glint in his eye told Ember that he knew _exactly_ what she was inferring. She knew without a doubt that he was the one to supply Katie Bell with the cursed necklace – she just didn't know _why_. She glanced at Crabbe and Goyle and seethed, narrowing her eyes dangerously and hissing quietly.

"I think I hear someone calling for you upstairs," She growled pointedly.

Draco's arrogant sneer melted into an annoyed scowl as the two boys hurried back to the dorm. He rounded on her, and she could tell he was not happy with her ordering _his_ cronies around. Ember tried to bring herself to care, but failed rather miserably.

"What do you want, Ember?"

"I want to know what you've been up to all year," She scowled, but there was no menace in her voice now. "You were rarely home, you had Mum in tears constantly, and you were the only to receive any letters from Father. You've been skirting around Hogwarts like you're hiding something, and I want to know what it is!"

"_If_ I were up to something," He hissed back, shifting towards her slightly, "You assume too much by thinking you're entitled to know."

"Draco," She hissed, straightening her spine. "I _saw_ you! Harry Potter only _assumes_ that you're the one who cursed that necklace, but _I know_. I saw you leaving the pub, and you were heading _away_ from the bathrooms. Katie Bell goes in moments later, and just _happens_ to come out with a charmed necklace? What are you playing at, Draco?"

His cold eyes bore into hers, and the arrogant sneer was back. He stepped threateningly towards her, and Ember refused to give him the satisfaction he wanted. She planted her feet firmly, curling her toes to keep her anchored to the spot. His nostrils flared once, and she knew she would be playing with fire if she pressed him further.

"You forget your place, Ember _Malfoy_," He hissed quietly. "What concern of yours is it how I spend my free time?"

"It's my concern when _my_ brother curses _my_ housemates!" She spat back, her voice cracking with the effort of keeping it low. "You are _not_ Father, Draco – stop pretending to walk in his shoes!"

There was a sharp sound, and then Ember felt the heat in her cheek. She touched her hand to the tender spot, and turned her wide eyes towards Draco. He looked surprised momentarily, and then a smug smirk lifted the corners of his mouth. He crossed his arms with an arrogantly satisfied air, and fixed her with a daring look.

"You're wicked, Draco Malfoy," She hissed softly, angry at the tears stinging her eyes. "I supposed you _are_ on the right side of this war."

"I _am_ on the right side," He scoffed, and then glared. "It is _you_ who forgets which side you're _rightfully_ on, Ember. No matter how hard you fight it, you are _still_ a Malfoy, and you _will_ fight with us when the Dark Lord wills it!"

"No!" She shouted, not bothering to keep her voice low. "I _will_ not, nor can anyone make me – not Father, not the Dark Lord, and _certainly_ not you!"

Draco raised his hand threateningly, and smirked when she winced. He held his hand in front of his face, turning it so that he could study it fully. He dropped it and fixed her with a dangerous look, and he smirked wickedly.

"You forget your place," He repeated softly, and Ember knew that she would rather him be yelling. "The slap was a warning – next time, I believe I shall punish you as Father used to."

Ember's heart turned to lead and then fell to her feet, weighting her to her spot as Draco closed the gap between them. She stepped back, but his hand reached out to catch her arm. She turned from him, trying to rip her arm from his grasp, but his free hand reached up to catch her jaw. Wincing from the pressure in his fingers, she lowered her eyes and then spat on his cheek. Anger flashed through his eyes before he backed her up, her back hitting rather painfully against a wall. His mouth neared her ear, and she shivered at his nearness.

"I know all about Father – how to act like him, how to take his place, and how to reprimand as he did," He warned, and Ember bit back a sob as memory broke into her conscious.

_Christmases at the Malfoy Manor was an event to be envied by all who weren't invited. Draco and Ember had yet to be accepted into Hogwarts, but their letters would come next year, after their eleventh birthday. For the moment, Ember had been content to relish in the grand decorations in her home for the holidays. She could hear the chatter of the adults in the other room, and she wondered why their voices sounded so funny to her._

"_Is my sister enjoying herself?"_

_Draco sat down next to Ember and handed her another cup of Pumpkin Juice. She could hardly realize that it tasted funny still. She had the mind to ask where Draco had gotten it from, but knew that he had been sneaking it from the supply in the adults' room. Her head felt heavy, and her face felt hot. She also had had to pee for the last hour, but she didn't have the motivation to move._

"_We're… we're going to get… in _so_ much trouble," She hissed between hiccups._

_She looked up with a start as her father left the room he had been in and entered the hall. He surveyed his two children with mild interest, and then turned over his shoulder to reply to something someone had called out to him. His eyebrow raised, he studied his children with amusement, and then smirked._

"_What a pleasure to see you behaving yourselves," He commented, and then turned to leave._

"What a pleasure to see you behaving yourselves,_" Ember mimicked, her voice carrying further than she had intended it to._

_Shocked gasps filtered out of the adjacent room, and Ember immediately fell silent. Her stomach turned to lead, and she didn't even flinch as her father stalked towards her and slapped her across the cheek. His hand gripped her upper arm, and she followed him obediently into her room. Without a word, he pulled her shirt over her head, twisting it around her wrists and bedpost so that she was forced to face away from him. She heard the sickening sound of his belt sliding through his pants' loops, and yelped when the leather touched her skin._

_The first few strikes had been hard, but the rest had been harder. When she would stop sobbing, her father would realize her back had gone numb. He would make the belt fall heavier in order to be felt. After he finished, he was breathing hard as he replaced his belt. He sneered down at her, and barked at her to fix herself._

"_If you ever embarrass me again," He warned quietly, "I assure you that the punishment will be much worse."_

_If anyone knew anything about Lucius Malfoy, it was that he was true to his word._

_Ember hadn't the guts to mock Lucius after that – and if she did, she made sure that he never heard. It wasn't until the summer before her fourth year that she had fallen into her father's bad graces again. Ember sat on the floor of her closet, talking to Draco through the small hole in the wall her father didn't know about. They had been sent to their rooms for trapping a house elf in the basement with a spider that Draco had charmed to be ten times its size._

"_He's angry a lot of the time, lately," Ember had sighed._

"_He _does_ work for the Dark Lord," Draco retorted, a sour note entering his voice._

"_Technically, brother, so do we," Ember groaned softly, resting her head against the wall._

"_Ember: my daily dose of reality," Draco chuckled cynically._

_There had been a sickening silence, during which Ember gathered her thoughts. She could hear the restless rustling on the other side of the room, and sighed. There was a tentative knock at her bedroom door, and Ember leapt to her feet, quickly pushing her clothes to hide the hole in the wall and shutting her closet door. She situated herself on her bed, tucking her hair behind her ear and facing the door._

"_Come in."_

_The door opened, and Ember smiled softly as a small, fidgeting house elf stepped into the room, avoiding her gaze. She cleared her throat and squeaked, talking to the floor._

"_Master Malfoy wishes to see the young miss in his study."_

_Ember scowled and slid off of her bed._

"_What on earth could I have done now?" She muttered to herself. "Thank you. Your services are appreciated."_

_She left her room, patting the house elf – Dottie, was her name – on the head kindly as she passed. Ember paused momentarily as Draco's door cracked open, and her brother poked his head out into the hallway._

"_Where are you off to?" He asked._

"_Father wishes to see me in his study," Ember scowled, rolling her eyes for effect._

_Draco nodded once and pulled his head back into his room, shutting the door as quietly as he could. Ember grimaced and descended the grand staircase, turning down a hallway and passing the family's library. She stopped in front of a heavy, oak door; she had reached her father's study. She straightened her spine and squared her shoulder, and rapped her knuckles on the door._

"_Enter."_

_Ember slipped into the room and closed the door quietly. She turned to see her father sitting at his desk, watching her with cold, empty eyes. His gaze flickered to the door behind her, and he sneered._

"_Lock it, girl."_

_Ember's stomach clenched. She had never had to lock her father's door for a reprimanding, and he had just recently started calling her girl. The cold term stole her breath every time it left his mouth. Lucius motioned for her to sit in the chair opposite him, and she willed her feet to move across the room. She sat, and he slid a piece of paper across the desk._

"_Are you aware of what this is?"_

"_Reports from the teachers at Hogwarts," Ember mumbled softly._

"_And are you aware of what they say?" Ember shook her head, and Lucius sneered. "Gryffindor; why has no one told me that _my_ daughter had been placed into Gryffindor? Three years, and I'm now learning that my daughter is in Gryffindor, with mud bloods and blood traitors? This is unacceptable!"_

"_Mother was in Gryffindor!" Ember argued._

"_You dare contradict me?" Lucius hissed, standing and making Ember wince. "You _dare_ embarrass _my_ name at Hogwarts? You dare embarrass _me_?"_

_Ember stood now, refreshed with a burst of anger at her father, who had changed so drastically over the past few years. She splayed her fingers on the surface of his desk and leaned forward, pressing her face into his personal space. He seemed startled, but didn't miss a beat as he rounded the desk and grabbed her wrists, pinning her the desk._

"_I'm a true disappointment, aren't I?" She hissed back at him, ignoring his demand for her to be silent. "I could be running around, shagging the Slytherin Quidditch team instead-"_

_The slap was sharp and hard against her rear end, and she was startled into silence. She felt her father shift his weight, and she winced as she felt his weight on her back._

"_Not another word," He hissed threateningly._

_Lucius' whisper was very close to her ear and, in sheer desperation, she turned her head, determined to catch a glimpse of her father. His voice was tense, and she had wanted to see how her sass had affected his ego. Prepared to be met with cold eyes, or even another slap, she glanced over her shoulder, bracing herself for pain._

_Instead, she was met up with a hot tongue that invaded her mouth, causing shivers to run through her in a way that not even the former behavior of her father could have caused._

This is wrong_, she shouted to herself, her eyes wide._

_She soon felt him shift to hold her wrists in one hand, and he used the now free one to run along the bare skin just below her navel. The hand messed with the button on her skirt, pulling down the zipper and tugging at the hem of the material. Ember became panicked, and pulled her mouth away from Lucius', hissing at him._

"_Father, this isn't right."_

"_That is for me to decide."_

_He turned her head to face away from him, and she was afraid that is she looked at him again, she would be met by his mouth. She shivered as he ran his free hand along the taut skin on her stomach once or twice before doing the same to her leg._

"_Father, _please_!"_

_He slapped her now as he kept her head straight. She felt his mouth on the nape of her neck, and she swallowed hard, hoping the bile rising in her throat wouldn't come out until she was safely in her own room. She bit back her sob, tasting blood on her lip as she bit into the tender flesh. She jumped at the knock on the study door._

"_Lucius? Is everything alright?"_

_Ember's heart stopped at the sound of her mother's voice. Lucius reached a hand around to cover her mouth, and glared at her in warning. The fear in her eyes satisfied him, and he pulled away from her, straightening his shirt as he called over his shoulder._

"_Everything's fine, Ayr," He replied, watching Ember curiously. "I was just teaching our daughter about… respecting the family name."_

_There was no reply, but quieting footfalls told Ember that her mother had moved away from the door. Lucius threw her a disgusted look and motioned for her to stand. He placed his hand on the doorknob and glowered at her as she straightened her skirt. She dropped her eyes to the ground as she passed him, and tried to ignore the weight of his gaze on her back as she hurried up to her room._

Ember stared at Draco incredulously. It had taken her months for her to tell Draco about what had happened that night in their father's study. It was only when he admitted that _those_ sort of things happened to him, too, that they began confiding in each other about the occurrences. They became more frequent, more vulgar, but still the twins had comforted each other. Now, Draco threatened her with the same treatment, and the last bit of Ember's sibling compassion shattered as her fist collided with his nose.

"You're a foul, wicked excuse of a human, _Malfoy_," She spat, finally adopting the habit of calling him by his last name. "I hope the Dark Lord leads you to your death."

Draco's face blanched behind his hands, which were covering his bleeding nose. His eyes were wide and shocked, and she thought she detected a bit of sorrow in the very depths. She spat on his shoes, and turned on her heel, stalking out of the Slytherin common room, vowing to never be in close proximity with her brother again.


	7. Blood Or Water

**Chapter Six**_  
(Blood Or Water)_

Ember had had a hard time sleeping the night after Katie Bell had been cursed. She couldn't be sure if her morphing dreams had been caused by witnessing the event, the fact that it happened at all, or the fact that her brother had (Ember was sure) been behind it. Voldemort morphed into Katie who morphed into Draco who morphed into her father. Each time Ember woke up, she noticed that Anna was tossing and turning, as well. After countless nights of waking to the haunting scream they had heard from Katie Bell, both girls had decided to speak to Madame Pomfrey about a Dreamless Draught.

Weeks passed, and talk of Katie Bell being admitted to St. Mungo's morphed into talk of the upcoming Yule Ball. Ember and Anna were both surprised as they realized they had seen little of Draco since the incident. Ember was grateful – her heart turned to stone at the thought of her brother. Anna's distant gaze, however, told Ember that her friend was a bit disappointed that her love interest was missing in action. Sympathetic as ever, Ember had realized that she had seen Fred and George even less than she had seen Draco.

Ember and her fellow Gryffindors had just finished with their classes for the day, and were winding their way through halls littered with giggling girls, and boys who pretended to be oblivious. The conversations all consisted of what would be worn, who would be taken, what would happen afterwards, and who was hoping for a kiss from who. Ember resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Dates to the Yule Ball was a bit of a touchy subject for her and her female friends; none of them had been asked by the men they most wanted to go with. Ron had asked Lavender Brown, and Harry hadn't asked _anyone_, which was just as bad.

"If girls cared as much about more important things as they did boys..." Ember shook her head, not bothering to hide her annoyance. "And if boys weren't so bloody _dense_."

Hermione and Anna muttered their agreement, and the three girls entered the common room. Fiery hair caught Ember's eye, and she scowled at George and Fred, who were playing a game of Wizard's Chess by the fire.

"I swear," She added, leading the way to the dorm.

The girls were silent as they deposited their school books in their trunks – or, in Ember's case, scattered on top of her bed. They made idle chit chat as they changed from their school robes into more comfortable clothes. The heat brought the smells from the kitchen up to them, despite them being in the Tower, and Ember's stomach clenched hungrily. She laughed softly to herself, and followed Hermione and Anna out of the dorm, eager to get down to the Great Hall for dinner. She stopped short and bumped into Hermione's back; scowling, she looked past her friends shoulder and then felt her scowl deepen.

"Who let the snake in?" She hissed.

In front of them, there was a small girl dressed in Slytherin robes. Judging by her furtive glances around the Gryffindor common room, Ember concluded that the girl couldn't have been older than a second year. Ember opened her mouth to shout at Harry, Fred and George, who were the only other Gryffindors in sight, but the Slytherin beat her to it.

"Which one of you is Callahan?"

For as small and fidgety as the girl seemed, her voice was all arrogance and haughtiness. Ember's mouth snapped shut as Anna let out a soft squeak of a reply. The girl looked her up and down and then sneered, as if amused by her own private joke. She rolled her eyes and then seemed to remember that she was the better person here, and her spine straightened as she met Anna's eyes.

"Draco Malfoy wishes to see you," She scoffed. "Now, if you don't mind."

Ember had to slap Anna's arm before the girl could speak.

"Where is he?" She choked out.

"On the seventh floor," The girl responded, clearly bored with the conversation.

Ember sneered after her friend as Anna hurried out of the common room, and lunged at the Slytherin girl. The girl jumped and turned to leave, and Ember smirked as she noticed the tension in the girl's legs as she tried not to run. She'd have to yell at the Fat Lady later for letting that trash in her common room. She exchanged a look with Harry, who looked just as confused as she did. Hermione rolled her eyes at them both, and Ember bristled.

"He's evil!" They exclaimed together, causing Hermione to roll her eyes again.

Ember sat down on the couch with a huff, crossing her arms. She had a scowl set on her face, and Hermione joined her. After a moment of glaring at the flames, she met Hermione's questioning gaze with her own. The amusement in Hermione's eyes made Ember scowl more fiercely.

"Is it that Draco is about to ask her to the ball, or that George hasn't asked you?" She mused, crossing her legs; Ember snarled and rounded on her.

"Shut up, Hermione," She growled, throwing a pillow at her friend and pulling a laugh from the girl.

Time seemed to pass slowly for Ember as she waited for Anna to return. The crackling of the fire was the only sound, save Fred and George's occasional shout of defeat. Hermione's quill scratched soothingly over parchment as she worked on her never ending supply of homework, and Harry had disappeared shortly after Anna had. The silence and waiting seemed to grind Ember's nerves, and she felt like a time bomb, ready to explode.

The portrait swung open, and Ember watched Anna walk in, her friend's cheeks pink and her eyes twinkling. Suddenly, Ember felt suffocated in the common room. She stood and waved good-bye to her friends, promising to see them at dinner. Anna's eyes were wide as Ember brushed past her without acknowledging her. At the sound of the portrait swinging shut behind her, Ember let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She took deep breaths as she counted to ten, and then scowled at herself.

She couldn't figure out why she was so angry; she and Hermione would still go to the ball together. George would never come around, and that was no surprise. She wasn't jealous of Anna. In fact, if it were anyone else, she'd be ecstatic. But it was her bloody brother - the boy was nothing but trouble waiting to happen. She sneered, and her feet began moving before she told them to go.

The Slytherin common room's passage loomed before her for the second time that month. Draco was just entering the corridor, and she reached out, pushing him against the wall. She gripped his collar, ignored the anger in his eyes, and shoved her wand in his shoulder.

"If you so much as bend a hair on her head," She hissed, close enough that his eyes were blending into one, "I'll show you a fate so horrible you'll wish you had just failed whatever errand Voldemort has sent you on."

She turned on her heel and stormed away, leaving Draco staring in an angry stupor behind her. She left the castle, conjuring her coat from her room and pulling it onto her body. She needed somewhere to cool down, and the Quidditch pitch had been the first place to pop into her mind. Maybe it'd be empty. Maybe she'd catch someone practicing. She really didn't care at the moment; she needed to get out of the castle, and the Quidditch pitch seemed the safest bet for that time of day.

She didn't have a broom of her own, but there were some available for lending out in the shed by the pitch. She grabbed one of the less dangerous looking ones, and flew up until the pitch was just a small oval under her. The crisp air whipped her hair around her head, and she suppressed a shiver as she stared out towards the horizon. A frown pulled at her features, and she tried to catch hold of one of the thoughts that was racing through her mind.

Something was wrong in the wizarding world – that much she knew to be true. Something deeper, however, was wrong in her _own_ world. Her mind wouldn't let go of Draco's malice the night she had confronted him in the Slytherin common room. He had reminded her too much of her father, and Ember wondered if she was the only daughter in the world to despise that realization. She missed her brother, and missed the secrets she used to share with him. She found herself despising the secrets he kept to himself, and wondered if they were weighing as heavily on him as his failing façade led her to believe.

Ember sighed, and almost grimaced when she saw a familiar cascade of red making its way through the darkening field. She flew down to the ground, hovering in front of Ginny, who was looking around furtively. The red-head finally sighed in resignation and met Ember's questioning gaze.

"She knows you're pissed at her," Ginny called up. "Cut her some slack, would you?"

"No," Ember replied with a roll of her eyes. "I won't cut Dean slack for hurting you when you argue, I won't cut Ron slack for hurting Hermione, and this is just one more reason on a growing list to dislike my brother. She's going to get herself hurt, and I don't think it's just going to be a broken heart."

Ginny's face fell slightly as Ember's words sunk in. They sat in silence as they collected their own thoughts, and Ember was reluctant to admit it was one of the first awkward silences between her and her friends. Ember frowned; it wasn't that she was mad at Anna for accepting her brother as an escort to the Yule Ball. Her friend's apparent death wish and ignorance to Ember's warnings was the true reason Ember was annoyed. Ginny finally sighed, and with a shiver turned to Ember.

"Come on," She pleaded softly. "It's bloody cold out here, and we're going to be late for dinner."

* * *

Dinner had been nothing short of awkward. Ember had been in a mood, Harry had been in a mood – hell, they had all been in a mood. They finally traipsed upstairs, and Anna had fallen asleep instantly. Ember had listened to her friends' deep breathing, and waited for the Dreamless Draught to take effect. Her eyes had just begun to grow heavy when a loud crash from downstairs made her sit upright in her bed.

"Wuz happenin'?" Anna mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I don't know," Ember mumbled back.

Without another word, the girls slid out of their bed. Ember noticed Hermione still sleeping, and shook her head at her friend's ability to sleep through a tornado. Ember and Anna drew their wands, prepared for the worst. Ember nodded to Anna and she pushed the door open, their personal dilemmas forgotten for the moment. They made their way slowly down into the darkness of the common room, and paused when they heard Ron muttering.

"Romilda Vane."

The two girls exchanged a slightly worried glance. It was their friend's voice, that Ember was sure of. Ron, however, sounded like a very drunk version of himself. He had slurred the name, and Ember wondered why he had mentioned Harry's obsessed fan in the first place.

"…The hell?" Anna whispered, and Ember shrugged as she moved further into the common room.

"I thought you loved Lavender." Harry said, nodding in their direction in acknowledgment.

"Lavender?" Ron scoffed. "She's bloody annoying."

Harry looked at Ember and Anna, and mouthed 'love potion' to them. They watched in mild amusement as Ron stared up at the moon, rambling incoherently about how beautiful it looked, and did they think Romilda was watching the moon, too? Ember and Anna pocketed their wands, and Ember smirked as Harry gripped Ron's arm.

"C'mon, Ron," Harry growled. "We need to get you to Slu- I mean, Romilda's waiting for you outside."

Anna lost it when Ron shut up from his place on the floor. Her laughter was a welcome sound, and Ember found she couldn't keep the smile off of her face. She saluted Harry, leaning against the wall, and her smile turned into a smirk.

"Need a little help there, Chosen one?"

She laughed as he snarled and told her to sod off. Ron told her how much he loved Romilda, and she snickered as the two boys left. The two girls looked at each other, and Ember's smile faded when she realized her friend's amusement had disappeared. They stared at each other in awkward silence, and turned silently to head back up to bed.

Ember sunk in between her sheets, and sighed quietly. Ginny's request played back to her, and she turned her head to look at Anna's back. They had been friends for too long to let a boy come between them – especially Ember's brother. She made up her mind to talk to Anna tomorrow, and found that her decision made sleep welcome her more quickly. She was just slipping into consciousness when the door to the sixth year girls' dorm slammed open. Ember shot up and stared at Ginny angrily.

"Bloody hell," She hissed. "Don't you Weasleys understand the concept of sleeping?"

Hermione was mumbling something about it not being time for school yet, and Anna had sat up in her bed, looking mildly annoyed. Ginny's cheeks were flushed, and Ember paused at the worry she saw in her friend's eyes. She was sliding out of bed when Ginny revealed her reason for waking them up.

"Ron's in the hospital wing!" Ginny hissed back.

It seemed like only two seconds had passed before Ember rushed out after Ginny, Anna and Hermione following close behind. The groans of sleeping portraits followed them as they rushed through the halls of Hogwarts, skidding to a halt in front of the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey looked up to acknowledge them as they entered, but their eyes were all for Ron. Harry was pacing at the foot of his bed, and Ginny joined her twin brothers by Ron's head. Dumbledore was carrying a quiet conversation with Slughorn and Snape, but Ember ignored them for the moment.

Madame Pomfrey pulled four more chairs next to Ron's bed, and the girls sat down with a grateful glance in the healer's direction. They sat by his bed for about an hour as Dumbledore, Snape and Slughorn went over what had happened. Ember was catching bits and pieces of their conversation, and her sense of dread deepened with each thing she caught on to. Poison, wine, a gift for Dumble- Ember stiffened. Poisoned wine that was meant for Dumbledore. A necklace that was sent for Dumbledore.

Ember would have reached over and slapped Anna, telling her to stop being so blind, but Lavender had run in. She immediately began fussing over her "Won Won", and when Hermione scoffed, Lavender turned with a glare. The two girls egan bickering over who had the right to be by his bedside, and Ember was amused – in the "Hermione's finally coming to terms with her love for Ron" sort of way. Ron's head rolled to one side, and they fell silent as his lips moved.

"Mm..ne... Her.. My... Knee..."

Ember stared with wide eyes as Lavender stormed out, crying, and Hermione moved to the bed, holding Ron's hand tightly. They all stared at Hermione with silent wonder, and a pleased blush crept up the girl's neck. She avoided meeting their eyes, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ears to hide her smile.

"Shut up," She demanded before they had a chance to say anything.

"Guess we know who she's going to the ball with now," Fred muttered, looking down at his brother.

"Ah, young love," George swooned.

Dumbledore was smiling knowingly, and made a passing comment about how young Mr. Weasley was in capable hands now. Ember stood and Anna followed, and she rolled her eyes at her friend's dreamy expression. The Gryffindors filed out of the hospital wing, leaving their two friends to their relative privacy. Ember had a passing thought of whether or not it was worth it to fall asleep now, but not even her annoyance could put out the warm flame Hermione's smile had started in her heart.

(xxxxxxxxxxx)

The next morning at Breakfast, everyone was bustling. The spirit of the Yule Ball had girls swooning and boys cringing, but _everyone_ was being swept up in the spirit of the nearing Christmas holiday. Ember sat between Hermione and Ginny, and was trying to keep the smirk off of her face as Ron, now recovered, cast confused glances past her shoulder. Ember knew that Lavender was sitting behind them, and she could feel the weight of her glare. Harry had told Ron that he had broken up with Lavender last night, because Ron could remember nothing.

"I must have been pretty harsh," He mumbled.

"You really don't remember anything you said last night?"

Hermione's soft question carried across the table to Ron, who flicked his confused gaze from his now estranged girlfriend to his best girl friend. He shook his head, and Ember tried not to frown as she recognized the rejection that glazed Hermione's eyes.

Katie Bell walked in, and the friends turned to smile at her, welcoming her back after her month at St. Mungo's. Harry immediately got up, as Ron continued to ask Hermione what he had said to Lavender. Hermione's scowl effectively silenced Ron, who turned to watch Harry as he followed Katie. Katie turned to face Harry, and the friends watched on.

"I'm sorry, Harry," The girl mumbled softly. "I know what you're going to ask, but I don't know who cursed me."

Harry sighed, and turned as Draco walked in. Ember saw her brother's gaze take in Harry and Katie, and she frowned as he paled. He straightened his tie, and even though he had just walked in, he turned and left the Great Hall.

"Malfoy!" Harry called.

Anna jumped up and followed Harry as the boy raced after Draco. Ember growled in mild annoyance and took off after them. They ran around for what seemed like an eternity. They finally entered a bathroom, and the two girls could hear shouts echoing off of the stone walls. Her brother's face was pale and tear-stained as he shot a curse at Harry. Ember gripped onto Anna, telling her silently to stay out of their way. Draco's curse missed Harry, but hit a pipe; Ember shivered as water began showering the bathroom.

"Sectumsempra!"

It was a spell that Ember had never heard before, and after she saw its effects, wished to never hear again. Draco's shirt ripped open, and the cloth that was still intact immediately turned red. Her brother collapsed onto the ground, his blood mixing with the water as it flooded towards the drain in the floor. It took her a moment to realize that she was shaking.

"What did you do?"

Her voice was cold and emotionless, and she had never sounded so much like her brother in her life. She felt someone bump into her shoulder, and stared stupidly as Snape rushed in past her. His eyes were wide with shock as he looked from Draco to Harry, and then his usual sneer masked his features. Harry jumped when he noticed the girls standing behind them, but left the bathroom without a word.

"Anna," Ember hissed, apathetically. "Come on." She tugged on Anna's arm, but she wouldn't budge. "Anna, for fuck's sake, let's _go_!"

She pulled her friend out of the bathroom, and they followed Harry silently through the halls. She shouted the password to the Fat Lady, who seemed too shocked to delay them in her usual manner. Ember pulled Anna forcefully into the common room, ignoring her friend's protests that she was hurting her arm. She slammed Anna onto the couch, bent down over her, and pressed her face into hers.

"Do you see now?" She hissed dangerously. "Do you see why you can't get involved with him?" She seethed, and turned, running a hand through her hair before pointing at Anna. "Nothing happened. Do you understand me? _Nothing happened_. Draco wasn't there, Harry wasn't there, and neither were we. And Anna... for god's sake, _stay away from Draco_!"

Ember's mind was reeling as she turned away from Anna; she had known that tensions were high between Draco and Harry, but she hadn't expected Harry to use such a malicious curse on him. She remembered Harry's shocked eyes after he had shouted the word, and then her mind registered something that had almost seemed irrelevant until then. That book, she realized; that Potions book had become Harry's bible. She seethed with even more anger at her friend's careless stupidity.

"Anna, once Voldemort gives you something to do, you do it," Ember scowled at her friend. "No matter who needs to be killed to get the job done – do you understand me? Honestly, Anna, what do you think was going to happen? Did you think he would fall in love with you? That you would… _save_ him from the life he's living? He's not some poor, abused soul, Anna – this was a choice. Draco knows what he's doing, and he doesn't _want_ to be saved!"

"How do you know?"

Her friend's soft rebuke startled Ember, and she whirled around to face her again, knowing her eyes were hard and resigned. Her mouth opened and closed countless times before she could finally respond to her friend.

"How do I… Are you _serious_, Anna?" She laughed cynically. "That's my _brother_, Anna – I think I know the inner workings of his mind more than you do."

Anna fixed her with a stare that made Ember realize the girl knew more about her relationship with her brother than Ember wanted her to. Anna pushed Ember back and stood, breathing heavily as she stared across the small space. Ember set her jaw with determination and pressed her face closer to her friend's. Her eyes locked with her, and when she was sure Anna wasn't going to look away, she scowled.

"Are you playing some sort of sick joke on me, Anna? Or is being smacked around and scowled at how you get your rocks off?" She backed Anna up until she was against a wall and pushed her wand under her friend's chin. "Do you like it when he threatens you? When he hisses your name like he can't stand the thought of you? Or are you just so damn compassionate that you need to save those who can't be saved?" She pushed her wand up further, watching her friend's skin turn red from the pressure. "He's going to kill you! He is going to get you fucking killed and you don't care! Or is it just that you've wooed the unwooable, _Callahan_?"

She was breathing hard now, but she couldn't make herself stop. Anna shoved Ember away, and the fact that she got aggressive alone surprised Ember enough to make her stumble. Anna just stood there looking at the ground, her breath's coming out in rasps. She turned and ran out of the Common Room, the few Gryffindors that had been around to hear Ember's outburst parting silently to let her through.

Ember groaned and sunk onto the couch, holding her head in her hands. She felt the weight of someone sitting next to her, and she fell easily into George's body when he put his arm around her. She wondered when he had gotten there, and then figured that her other friends must have followed them when they realized they weren't returning to breakfast. She bit the inside of her cheek against the tears welling in her eyes, and pulled away from George. Ember stood and growled, brushing Hermione away when her friend came to hug her.

"I know," She grumbled. "I know."

Ember ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She conjured up a basket full of chocolates and hot butter beer, a warm blanket, and a tarp. She marched out of the Common Room, ignoring George's question about who the romantic picnic was for and walked out to the grounds. By the time she found Anna, her nose was going numb and her hands hurt as they held the picnic basket. She sighed, put the tarp down, and sat down on it, not looking at Anna yet.

"I don't know why you love him," She started almost whispering. "And I don't know why I hate him. But I do know that he's up to something, and I do know that it' not good."

She sighed and pulled Anna onto the tarp, wrapping the blanket around both of them.

"And I do know that I don't want you to get hurt. Just do me two favors, and I won't ever get on your case again." She waited, and felt Anna nod. "Promise me that when it comes to it, you won't be surprised if he turns out evil, and you'll choose the right thing. And promise me you'll smack some sense into George - I can't be the only one to go to the Ball alone."

She heard Anna laugh, and smiled easily now. Her friend was in love - the least she could do was try to be happy. She had already told Anna her feelings on it, and she had already threatened Draco. Her job as a friend had been fulfilled. She smiled at Anna, waving her good-bye, telling her that she'd be in the Common Room in a bit. She handed her friend the basket.

"Tell George we had a wonderful time, he swept me off my feet, and we're going to the Yule Ball together, eloping, and having lots of children."

She winked, blew Anna a kiss, and made her way back into the castle. Things had taken an interesting turn, and Ember didn't know yet whether the turn had been for better, or for worse.


	8. Shadow

**Chapter Seven**

_(Shadow)_

With the Yule Ball only three days away, the castle's halls brimmed with excited gossip and chatter. Girls clustered in corners, pointing and giggling as they told their friends who had asked them to the ball. Ember grimaced, and had to bite her tongue against the curses that wanted to spill from her mouth. George had yet to ask her to the ball, despite Anna's protests that she had talked to him. She had finally resigned herself to going to the ball alone; even though he hadn't remembered a word he said, Ron did ask Hermione to the Yule Ball. Harry still hadn't asked Ginny, but Ember assumed she would go with Dean, anyway.

Ember sat in the library, attempting to finish a Potions essay but was failing miserably. She wasn't able to focus, and it was clear by the open book lying on the table. She was fingering the cover gingerly, trying to motivate herself to pick the book up and actually read it. Her excuse not to came when the library door creaked open.

Ember looked up from the book on the table as one of the Weasley twins sat down across from her. She was so used to seeing the two of them together that she almost didn't recognize George when he sat down. She lifted her eyebrow at him, holding her book in front of her so she seemed preoccupied.

"Can I help you?" She asked airily, looking around. "Did it ever occur to you I might be waiting for someone?" George snorted and Ember glowered at him. "It just so happens I met a boy -"

"Who swept the floor with your feet and is taking you to the Yule Ball where you'll have lots of babies. Spare me - Anna already told me."

Ember had to hide her giggle at the annoyed flush that crept up George's neck as he brutally destroyed the muggle phrases. He was looking around the library, and the possessive glint in his eye told her that he was, indeed, looking for the non-existent mystery boy she had been running around with. She cleared her throat and George's head snapped back to her, his eyes flickering around as if he thought the boy had walked in. With his eyes settling on Ember, she set her book back down and leaned towards him.

"First of all," She corrected haughtily, "It's sweeping _off_ someone's feet, not with. Second of all, babies come _after_ Y-"

George's lips pressed against hers, cutting her off mid-sentence. She stared with wide eyes for a moment before realizing he wasn't pulling away, and she let her eyes fall shut. Someone had once told her it was rude to stare while kissing someone, and she had lived by the rule for as long as she _had_ been kissing boys. Her head begun to spin, and she almost thought her dizziness would make her pass out if it weren't for the fireworks exploding behind her eyes. She realized with a pleasant start that this was the magic moment the muggle romance novels always talked about. He pulled back – too soon for Ember's tastes - and looked down at her, all seriousness.

"You're not going with him. You're going with me."

That was all he said, and his commanding tone stole the breath from Ember's lungs – though that may have been the remnants of him kissing her. George stood and winked, and turned to leave the library. Ember held her fingers to her lips, reveling in the tingling that was left from the pressure of his kiss. Her Potions assignment forgotten, she took off towards the Common Room. Ignoring Hermione's curious gaze, she ran up to the dorm room and pounded on the bathroom door, where she could hear Anna showering.

"Anna!" She called over her pounding. "_Anna_, come on! I need to talk to you! Anna!"

She paced in front of the bathroom door for a few minutes, trying to collect her thoughts. She heard the shower shut off, and a few moments later, a pink Anna emerged from the bathroom in a towel. There was a goofy smile on her friend's face, and her eyebrow was quirked in amusement. Ember scowled at her friend's expression.

"Don't do that," She growled. "You look too much like Draco."

"Actually," Anna replied, moving past her into the dorm. "I picked it up from _you_."

Ember rolled her eyes and sat on her bed, watching with a far away expression as Anna toweled her hair dry. Her friend seemed to be taking her time getting dressed, and Ember eventually began jiggling her foot as it hung over the side of the bed. Anna watched her with amusement, and finally pulled her night robe on. She sat at the foot of Ember's bed and crossed her arms, waiting for Ember to tell her all of the juicy details about her snogging session with George. Ember recognized the look in her friend's eye, and rolled her own.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Anna Banana. We did not play tonsil hockey, swap spit, or examine each other's throats with our tongues." Ember put on a playful pout and then smiled. "Whoever he thinks I've been sneaking off with really got to him. He didn't even ask me to go with him - he told." Ember smiled again and blushed. "And let me tell you what, he's sexy when he's in command. Mm-mm!"

She turned her head to the door as Hermione and Ginny walked in with raised eyebrows. Ignoring them for the moment, she turned to Anna with a sheepish smile.

"I wonder if guys brag to their mates like girls gush," She mumbled to Anna. "I'd do anything to be a fly on his wall tonight."

"I can imagine it," Anna giggled. "Comparing whose flirtation tactic was the best, or who made which girl blush more."

Ginny made an indecipherable noise, and Ember and Anna turned to face their friends. Ginny's face was pale, and her eyes were red – Ember concluded that she and Dean had been fighting again. Hermione gave them a warning glance, and Ember frowned, her conclusion confirmed. She leaned back against her pillows and fixed the red-head with a concerned look.

"What's wrong?"

Hermione closed her eyes and rubbed her temples before moving to sit on her bed. Ginny leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed protectively over her torso.

"I broke up with Dean."

That was all that the girl offered; there was no explanation, no warning, just a statement in her apathetic tone. Ember's eyebrows rose despite herself, and she heard Anna's sharp intake of breath.

"I thought you two were in love?" Anna questioned, and Ginny scowled.

"So did I," She replied drily. "Until I found him snogging a girl from Ravenclaw in the library."

Ember's mind reeled even as she put on a sympathetic frown. Ginny was finally unattached, an Harry had been brooding anytime her name had come up. It was high time, in Ember's mine, that they realized how destined they were for each other, even if someone had to force them into the realization. Ember could tell by Anna's wide eyes that her friend was sharing her thoughts. After casting a look at Hermione – _play along, or die _– Ember turned to Ginny, all serious business.

"Ginny," Ember began, leaning forward. "I'm glad you're here. You see, we were just talking about how Harry's going to get himself in trouble with that stupid potions book. Now, we were thinking… if someone could take him into the room of requirements, and hide it from him, problem solved." She raised an eyebrow when Ginny raised hers. "It would have to be someone with feminine wiles - someone that could easily persuade him." She looked at Anna and Hermione, who nodded. "Want to help?"

Ginny looked at the girls suspiciously, and Ember masked her face with innocence. What she had told the red-head hadn't been entirely a lie; Ember _did_ worry about the trouble Harry would get himself into with the book. The curse he had cast on her brother had come from the book, and Ember knew enough to know that two plus two, in this case, equaled something much worse than four.

Without another word, Ginny nodded once and left the dorm room, the other girls following quickly behind her. The common room opened before them, and Harry stuck out like a sore thumb. Even Ron was watching him warily. Ginny sucked in a breath, and slowly moved to stand in front of him, placing her hand on the top of the frayed copy of Advanced Potion Making.

"We need to get rid of this," She whispered to him.

Ember and her friends stood silently, and her head spun, reminding her to breathe. For a moment, all was still; finally, Harry stood slowly, as if caught within a dream of a dream, and let Ginny take his head. She lead him through the Gryffindors, and finally through the portrait. Anna was watching with a dreamy expression, and she heard her friend mumble something about young love. Ron shot her a look, which seemed to sober her up. After a moment, Anna's face went slack with concern, and Ember wished Ron had stayed silent, if only to keep Anna's mind from wondering to Draco.

"Come on," She whispered to her friend. "Let's go see how he's doing."

(xxxxxxxxx)

"Lie down, Mister Malfoy! I will not have students wandering about until they are fully healed!"

Draco resisted the urge to slap the healer as she glared at him. His body ached, but it was more from lying in the hospital cot for the past three days than what had happened to him. If it hadn't been for Snape, Draco knew he would have bled out from whatever curse Potter had used against him. There had been a moment while he was lying on the bathroom floor where he had welcomed the possibility. Of all the things that heckled him for thinking such things, his sister's face had been the most prominent.

"I said I was fine," He growled, his hand still itching to slap her. "Does it look as if I need _your_ assistance?"

Madame Pomfrey fixed him with a knowing look, and the slight smirk he noticed on her face made him want to slap him more. He almost would have, had it not been for the door to the Hospital Wing pushing open then. His heart jumped when he saw Ember walk airily into the wing, but he masked it with his scowl. His eyes quickly noticed that her friend, the Callahan girl, was following meekly behind her.

"Draco?"

He looked to Ember, whose lips hadn't moved. She was sitting on the cot next to his with her arms crossed coolly under her chest. There was a soft, cynical smile tugging at her lips, and he restrained himself from growling at her. Callahan, who had said his name, stepped between the two cots furtively and looked him over with concern. If her worry hadn't shocked him, it would have disgusted him.

"Worried about me, were you, Callahan?"

The girl's gaze didn't falter, and her jaw was set with determination as she nodded. His eyebrows arched, and he found it was more out of curiosity than cynicism. She stepped closer to his cot, and even Ember seemed to be surprised. They turned their heads to watch Madame Pomfrey near them with a bottle of something horrid looking. Draco scowled, and Anna frowned.

"Lay back, and let her do what she needs to."

Draco's mind seemed to shut down, and he felt his mouth open to project a response. When none came, he huffed with irritation and leaned back against his pillow. Ember's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline, and her mouth was hanging open in shock. Then, much like Draco himself, she collected herself before anyone but him noticed her surprise. She hid her shock behind a cough, and nodded in his direction.

"I'm glad to see… you're… still alive."

There was something hidden in her words, but they spoke volumes at the same time. He tried his hardest not to soften his scowl when she expressed her concern; judging by the dark look of betrayal in her eye, he had succeeded. He was almost pleased with himself; the more people he could detach himself from, the more people would be left intact. Draco realized with a grimace that this meant even his own twin sister.

_Father would be ashamed_, he thought to himself as he took the bottle Madame Pomfrey offered. _I'm going soft_.

Though Callahan was staring intently at him, his eyes were glued to his sister. He hand stung at the memory of slapping her, and his soul seemed to burn with the remnants of torturing her with their father's likeness last month. He felt the frown lines around his eyes disappear as he stared at her, his unspoken apology crossing the distance between them. She stiffened at first, and then nodded once.

"I'm going to find Fred and George," She announced to Callahan; the girl jumped as if she had forgotten Ember was there. His twin then met his gaze, and she nodded again. "Try not to die while I'm gone."

He scoffed, and he was sure he heard her soft laughter as she left the Hospital Wing. He finally looked at Callahan, and smirked when he noticed her shifting from one foot to the other. She looked a bit unsure of herself, and it pleased Draco to know that she remembered her place with him. She looked up to catch his smirk, and her eyes immediately dropped again as she blushed. His smirk grew, and he slid his legs off the side of the cot. Callahan jumped and glared at him.

"You really should -"

"I would much rather wait for this bloody potion to take effect in the comfort of my own room rather than this pathetic excuse of a hospital wing," He growled, cutting her off and ignoring the healer's protests. "I presume you can make yourself useful?"

His questioned seemed to catch the Gryffindor off guard; she had stopped shifting, but her mouth opened and closed more times than Draco could count. Her eyes were wide and vacant, and she reminded him of a fish out of water, in many different ways. He found he was both amused and annoyed, and he scowled. His look seemed to snap her focus to him, and she finally nodded.

"Good." He stood and gingerly slipped his school robe over his clothes, trying not to wince as he moved. "Then you'll help me to my dorm."

"You _really_ should -"

His scowl seemed to silence her, and Callahan nodded meekly. He smirked with satisfaction and leaned on her, trying not to put too much of his weight on her. Madame Pomfrey watched with thin lips, and Draco resisted the urge to scoff. He wished he could have resisted noticing the way her hair smelled, and the mere thought made him scowl to himself. Callahan noticed, but said nothing as they made their way down to the Slytherin common room. He hissed the password, and grunted lowly in pain as Callahan helped him into the room.

Immediately, the Slytherins sitting idly rushed over to him, fawning over him as if he were a fallen king. Callahan stiffened under his arm, but said nothing as the Slytherins cast her curious glances. His breaths were becoming alarmingly shallow, and he felt the thin sheen of sweat that covered his face. Callahan looked at him from the corner of her eyes, and frowned.

"You should have -"

"My room," He cut her off, pointing to the left.

Callahan scowled, but complied. She helped him through the common room and down the hall to the boys' dorms. He directed her to the sixth year dorms, and then his bed. She stood warily by his bed as he set himself on it. His body was tense and his muscles were sore, and he had a brief thought that he _should_ have stayed in the Hospital Wing. He shivered as something trickled down his torso; he really _had_ exerted himself too much, if he was sweating so profusely. He heard Callahan gasp, and her hands were on his shirt, tugging it up his body.

"You can't keep your hands off of me, can you, Callahan?"

Her brow furrowed as she glanced at him, and then she scowled so severely Draco almost thought he was looking at his sister. She finally straightened, crossed her arms, and scowled at him fiercely.

"You're bleeding."

He looked down his body at the small wounds still lining his chest. There were thin lines of blood running from his opened wounds, and Callahan was giving him an _I told you so_ look. She was spared his scowl when she turned to rummage through her shoulder bag. With thoughtful precision, she turned back to him, a needle and thread in her hand.

"What are you doing?" He sneered.

"You pulled your stitches apart," She told him, coolly. "I've got to sew them back up before they get worse."

She looked at his shirt pointedly, and he scowled, leaning up to unbutton it. He noticed the flush creeping up her neck as his fingers worked the buttons through the loops, and he smirked as she concentrated on threading the needle, her eyes pointedly avoiding his face. He finally settled back against his pillows, and she leaned over him, frowning as she held the needle close to his skin.

"This is going to hurt," She warned him.

Draco tried not to shout as the needle threaded through his skin. He closed his eyes; the room had begun to spin, and he couldn't risk getting sick and showing weakness in front of her – even if she was his sister's Gryffindor friend. He heard the whisper of the thread as it passed through his skin, and it was followed by an unpleasant tugging sensation that made his stomach roil in his gut.

"Where…" He gasped as she tugged the two sides of a wound together. "Where did you learn to sew?"

"I want to be a healer when I'm through with my schooling."

He watched her nimble fingers work quickly, and he was surprised to find that it didn't hurt as much as he had initially thought it would. Her eyes were glued to his skin, and Draco couldn't help but notice her perpetual blush as her fingers grazed his flesh. Something within him stirred proudly, and he had the brief notion that this wasn't the time to woo a girl – especially Callahan. However, he watched her as her calm face turned from wound to wound. She was mostly silent as she worked, but she was done soon enough.

"Do you often carry around a needle and thread?"

She met his questioning gaze with one of her own, and she replaced her tools into her bag, trading them for a bottle that looked similar to the one Madame Pomfrey had offered him earlier. Draco took the bottle without argument, swallowing the contents. He handed back the bottle and must have pulled a face, because Callahan rolled her eyes.

"As a matter of fact," She scowled, "I _do_. What with Fred and George around, they've come in handy too often to justify not carrying them."

He scowled at the mention of the Weasley twins, but said nothing. She stood by his bed and looked around his room, and finally let her eyes settle on his face. He quirked a brow at her, and saw her blush once again. This time, he almost smiled. She was looking at him with an odd mixture of confusion and contentedness; Draco Malfoy didn't hand out _thank you_s, and he was happy to see that she didn't seem to expect one.

"I've got an essay to finish."

She turned away from him, and he scowled for reasons he didn't quite understand.

"Callahan!" His voice echoed in the empty room, and she turned to look at him coolly. "I'll see you at the Ball."

A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she turned before he could tell if she really was smiling or not. She pulled his door shut behind her, and Draco settled back into his pillows, watching the spot where she had been standing. Something fluttered in his chest, and he scowled deeply as his father's voice mixed with his own.

_Stupid boy_, they sneered at him. _This is war – there is no time for _love_._

Draco's scowl turned into a frown as his eyes slid shut. The darkness behind his eyelids welcomed him, and he watched the colored, shapeless lights dance while he mused. This _was_ war, he reminded himself, and there _was_ no time for love – or sense, Draco reminded himself. The fewer people attached to him, the better. Draco scowled for a moment, thinking on Callahan's blood status. She herself was a pureblood, as Draco and Ember were. She, however, was considered a blood traitor, much like the Weasleys and, Draco remembered with a scowl, his own sister.

Something cold reached through his gut with icy fingers, and he suppressed a shiver. There was nothing Draco could do; he was as insignificant in this as prayers and wishful thinking were. He could hardly handle the task he had been assigned, and he knew that his grandfather was aware of this. Family or not, the Dark Lord did not pity failures – and Lucius Malfoy was, in fact, a failure. Now, the Death Eater was in Azkaban and Voldemort was set to punish him through his son's failure – and, ultimately, death.

Draco could _feel_ the blood drain from his face at the thought, and he didn't try to suppress his shiver this time. Tears of anger and frustration stung his eyelids, and it was hard to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. His fists clenched by his sides, and he scowled at his sniveling. He _would_ not fail; he wouldn't give Voldemort the satisfaction of killing him. The most powerful factor, Draco realized, was that he would not be a failure as his father had been.

Draco's eyes opened, and he knew what had to be done.


	9. Schizoid

**Chapter Eight**

_(Schizoid)_

The morning of the Yule Ball brought excited chatter from both boys and girls. The Great Hall was buzzing with laughter, cat calls, and _ooh_ing as students, too excited to eat, lined their tables. Even Dumbledore was looking over the students with an amused, knowing smile. Ember looked around the hall and knew that as soon as everyone had left breakfast, the tables would be removed and the hall transformed. The thought sent butterflies through her stomach, and she couldn't stop the giggle that came bubbling out of her throat.

"I can't eat."

Ember turned to Anna, who sounded positively dismayed at having no appetite. Hermione and Ginny bounced in her seats beside them, and Ember knew that all of the girls in the hall probably shared the same sentiments. She noticed with slight disgust, however, that the boys were having no problems eating.

"Isn't it just revolting?" Hermione asked as she picked her piece of toast.

"Absolutely," Ember agreed.

Ember, Hermione and Anna turned towards Ginny, who was watching with an awed sense of disgust. The red head blushed when her friends caught her staring at Harry, and Ember almost giggled in excitement. Their plan had obviously succeeded; though neither Ginny nor Harry said a word when they returned from the Room of Requirements, but the girls had known from Ginny's glittering eyes that the two would be escorting each other to the ball – among other things, of course.

Ember turned as she heard Draco's annoyed laughter. She knew that it was annoyance and nothing else because they had laughed many times in exactly that way together when their parents would argue. She noticed that he was talking with Pansy, who looked set to kill. The girl was no doubt put out that Draco hadn't asked her to the Yule Ball. Ember smiled cynically, a part of her happy to see that her brother looked much better after a few days' rest.

Students began trailing out of the hall, girls in groups of two or three whispering excitedly as they walked to their dorms. The Gryffindor girls followed suit, standing and bidding adieu to the boys, still busy eating. Ember flushed pleasantly when George winked at her before she left. They girls were surprisingly silent as they made their way to the Gryffindor common room, each of them quiet with their own thoughts.

Ginny followed them into the sixth year girls' dorm, where they had left their dresses before they had gone to breakfast. The other sixth year Gryffindor girls were already in the bathroom, but moved over happily to allow the four newcomers a place at the counters. Immediately, Ember got caught up in the excitement, and giggled rather girlishly as she began working her brush through her hair.

"What's that noise?"

Ember looked past the quizzical Hermione into the dorm room. The girls had quieted, allowing the others to hear the soft tapping coming from the other room. Her eyes moved toward the window, and she smirked. She pushed her elbow into Anna's ribs, and nodded towards the rich, russet colored owl.

"It's for you," She sung. "That's Draco's owl."

Anna flushed, but she was smiling as she rushed out of the bathroom. Ember watched as her friend opened the window, took the parchment from the owl's leg, and patted it affectionately on the head. The owl left, and Anna shut the window, flushing as she read the note. She set it on her bed, and entered the bathroom, walking into a crowd of expectant faces.

"He's going to meet me outside of the Gryffindor Tower at seven," She said simply.

Ember's stomach tickled at the thought of her brother escorting her best friend to the ball. She had a brief moment where she questioned Draco's sanity, and more so, his morals. Draco didn't date, and if he did, he sure wasn't seen dating in _public_. The thought brought an amused grin to Ember's face, and she turned to face the mirror again.

The next few hours were spent in chaos. Hair products and cosmetics were strewn about the counters, and girls ducked under or reach over others to get their spot in the mirror. They slowly transformed themselves from students into giggling girls.

Ember tried in vain to get her hair to curl, and growled when the ringlets fell into soft waves. She set the curling iron down on the counter with more force than necessary, and reached for a silver hair clip. She parted her hair on the side and clipped one side of her hair back behind her ear. Satisfied, she began her makeup.

Anna's hair curled into perfect ringlets; she had half of her hair pulled up, but all of it was curled. Two soft tendrils of hair curled in front of her ears to frame her face. She was putting on her eyeshadow when she caught Ember's eyes in the mirror, and smiled brilliantly.

When the girls had finished applying their makeup – hours later, to Hermione's chagrin, they fell into the dorm room in one giant wave. Clothes were thrown about as they stripped out of their school robes, and Ember had a moment to wonder if this is how muggles prepared themselves for their dances – proms, she had once heard them called. With a giggle, she slipped into her dress and walked over to Anna.

"Are you sure this doesn't make me look fat?" Her friend hissed.

Ember shushed her and zipped the back of the dress up. She turned at Anna's bidding, and stood with her hands on a bedpost as her friend laced up the back of her corset top.

"You look… _wonderful_," She hissed between gasps as Anna tightened the ties. "He'll be… _drooling_."

Anna giggled and slapped Ember on the hip as she finished lacing the dress up. Ember staggered, adjusting to the tightness for a moment before relearning how to breathe. The material floated around her body, and she felt like an angel in green. She looked down to admire the way the skirt fluttered around her feet, and felt her eyebrows raise.

"I have boobs," She announced in awe.

Anna rolled her eyes, and then jumped as the sound of a small explosion filled the Gryffindor Tower. Ron's voice floated up to them, and Ember laughed as the boy chastised his brothers for yet another failed plan. Anna opened the door slightly, and the girls pressed their eyes against the crack in the door. They could see Harry, Ron, and the twins piled in a heap at the bottom of what used to be the stairs. From their shouts of outrage, the girls gathered that they had been trying to see them in their dresses before they were supposed to.

Ember giggled, grabbed the nearest object, opened the door, and stuck her head out to glare at the boys.

"I thought girls were the impatient ones? Go get dressed, you lazy prats... and fix the stairs."

She chucked the object - a book, she realized - and laughed as it bounced off of Ron's shoulder. She pulled her head in the room, heard another noise, and then the sound of wreckless boys trampling up the stairs. The sound of a door slamming told her the boys were indeed changing into their dress robes. The girls allowed themselves a moment to giggle, and then put their shoes on. Hermione stood and walked carefully over to the door, opening it slightly. She closed the door and turned to the girls with a slight flush creeping up her neck.

"All of the boys are downstairs waiting for their dates," She whispered excitedly.

Ember could hear girls from the other dorms as they hurried down the stairs. She smiled at her friends.

"Shall we, ladies?" She turned to Anna and hugged her best friend. "We'll walk out with you when you go to meet him," She promised with a smile.

The girls made their slow descent into the common room, and Ember felt like a princess when the boys turned to watch them in awe. Ron flushed, but couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Hermione. Ember noticed that Fred was already standing with Katie Bell, and smiled encouragingly at her as she made her way to George, linking her arm with his offered one.

"You look lovely," He whispered against her ear.

Ember blushed and suppressed a shiver as his lips grazed her skin. She looked over at Anna and noticed that her friend was nibbling her lip, a nervous habit that Ember had scolded her for countless times. She smiled, using her free hand to take one of Anna's, squeezing it comfortingly. She looked over and smiled at George, who had found dress robes that fit him perfectly and accented his lean muscles. She nodded at him, and then her friends, and they filed out of the Common Room. Harry and Ginny led, followed by Ron and Hermione. Fred and Kate followed them, and George led Ember (who in turn led Anna) out of the Common Room. She almost giggled when she first spotted Draco - his eyes were wide as they found Anna, and she wondered if she should point out that his mouth was slightly hanging open. Ember squeezed Anna's hand one last time, pushing her towards Draco, and sticking around only long enough to see Draco take Anna's hand and kiss it, his eyes never leaving her face. She giggled and squeezed George's arm, sighing dramatically and leaning against his shoulder as they followed their friends.

"Young love," She swooned.

George rolled his eyes at Ember's comment, but grinned despite himself. Ember watched as the doors to the Great Hall opened, and students filed in. She, along with Hermione and Ginny, placed their hand bags at a table to reserve it. Pausing, she wondered where Anne would be sitting. She pursed her lips, and then reserved another two chairs, just in case. She nodded in approval at the ten chairs, and turned, smiling and taking George's extended arm. She almost giggled as he took her to the dance floor, looking over to wink at his twin. Ember looked around, and saw Harry and Ginny on one side of her, and Ron and Hermione on the other side of Fred and Katie. She smiled whimsically as she stepped closer to George, feeling his hand on the small of her back. The first song was a slow one, but she wasn't going to complain at all.

Ember was in wonderland when George lifted both of her arms to wrap around his neck, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. They were more swaying back and forth, turning around in a circle than they were dancing, but she didn't mind at all - the fact that his lips kept brushing her temples helped greatly.

"You look beautiful," He murmured into her ear, causing her heart to leap out of her chest. He laughed softly, and kissed her just as gently.

"You clean up pretty well yourself," She taunted softly, relazing her head into the crook of his shoulder. "It would have been a shame to miss this."

"Miss it?" He pulled back to look at her with confusion. "Why on earth would you have missed it?"

"Well, you certainly took your sweet time asking me to the ball," She replied haughtily, and George grimaced.

"Well, maybe I would have asked you sooner, if you hadn't been gallivanting around with that _boy_," He grumbled. "What was his name?"

"Imuh Ginnery," She smiled innocently, twisting the pronunciation. George's eyebrows knit together as he repeated the name.

"Imuh Ginnery? Iuh… _Imaginary_?" He hissed, and Ember beamed. "There never _was_ another boy, was there?"

Ember smiled innocently and looked over her shoulder, spotting Anna and Draco. Her eyebrows shot up. She had to give it to her friend - she sure knew how to pick them. Draco looked wonderful, and she giggled softly when she saw the look on his face. He would glance down at Anna when she wasn't looking, and she could have sworn she saw a smile light up his face for a minute. She didn't have time to find out, because the orchestra stopped playing, making room for Magyshun, one of the biggest bands in London right now. She squealed in delight, pulling George towards the front of the crowd and jumping up and down. She noticed Hermione and Ginny doing the same. The boys all exchanged a look of amusement, before joining their dates in the rave.

Anna pushed her way through the crowd and joined the Gryffindors in front of the stage; Ember noticed with an amused smile that she was pulling a bemused Draco behind her. She caught her brother's eye, and smiled when she noticed that his smile didn't drop as they looked at each other. He was watching Anna, who was jumping up and down with the beat with the rest of the girls. After a moment, Ember noticed that Draco was even bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet.

After an hour of jumping in the middle of the heated bodies, students began making trips to the punch bowl. It wasn't until after her third or fourth glass that the room began to spin, and she giggled as the Christmas decorations danced before her eyes. She couldn't find Hermione and Ginny, and Anna had disappeared just a bit ago with Draco. There was a warm feeling in her stomach that she had only felt once before, when Draco had snuck the spiked pumpkin juice at the Christmas party years ago. She giggled into her hand, and after pleading with George, left the ball with him to step outside onto the castle grounds.

They weaved their way through snogging couples, sobbing girls, and rambunctious boys. Ember was giggling as George led her out of the Entrance Hall, pulling her into the crisp air. Within seconds, she was shivering - the frigid air bit against her damp, heated skin, but she was too tipsy to care.

"You didn't _tell_ me," She poined at George and pulled a serious face. "You didn't _tell_ me you were going to get us _wasted_." The last word was a bit loud, but it just made them both laugh. "You, Misterrrr Jorje, are in -" she hiccuped - "_Ssssoo_ much trouble!"

He laughed as Ember leaned against the stone wall of the Castle. He placed both hands by her head and leaned in close.

"How else was I supposed to take advantage of you tonight?"

He winked, and she giggled. He was leaning into kiss her when she gasped, grabbed his shoulder, and pointed. They could barely make out the silhouettes of two people standing oddly close, and Ember giggled into George's shoulder as she recognized the short, red dress she ha helped pick out.

"Omigod, tha's Anna Nanner and Baby Brother - and they're _kissin_'!" Ember giggled girlishly, pulling George in for the kiss she had interrupted.

(xxxxxxxxxx)

He had said to hell with expectations, and had let his mouth claim hers. Perhaps it was the spiked punch – undoubtedly the Weasleys' doing – but he hadn't much time to care between deciding to kiss her and doing it. She accepted him eagerly, and he was pleased to find that she was a submissive kisser. Her fingers slid up his arms to tangle into his hair, and he smirked behind the kiss as he backed her up against the wall.

_What a wonderful way to distract yourself_, his father's voice taunted. _I suppose you want to die, after all._

He stiffened, and Callahan pulled away, calling his voice softly. Without answering her, he turned away from her and stalked away, not bothering to glance at his sister wrapped up in one of the Weasleys. Draco walked down the halls brusquely, loosening his tie. How could he let himself be completely enraptured by a stupid girl?

Even now, he wanted to run back to her. He wanted nothing to do with this mission, but it had to be done. He needed to do it. For his father, for his mother, for Ember – but most of all, for himself. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.

_I like that twit more than I should._

He saw himself with her, more long term than he felt he should have. He sneered; he had to put her out of his mind. He had to _protect her from this life._ She deserved better. This angered Draco; he had always prided himself on his family; but the life his mother led, being the wife to a Death Eater; was hard. He wouldn't – _couldn't_ - put Callahan through that. He set his jaw, if this didn't get done, his mother would die; and he couldn't afford that. He needed to protect his family – and Callahan.

The afterthought startled him out of his fantasy, and he scowled. The time to go through with it would be soon. He felt it in his bones, and it wracked him to his very core. Something dark inside of him festered, and it suddenly took everything he had in him to not hate the girl. How dare she distract him from his mission – he was Draco Lucius Malfoy, and she was nothing but an entertaining way to pass time.

Someone was following him; the sound of bare feet slapping on marble made him stiffen. Someone reached out and grabbed his collar, yanking him to a halt. With searing eyes, he turned to face Ember; her glare matched his perfectly as she held her shoes in her hand.

"What's your game, Malfoy?" She hissed, and Draco's scowl faltered – she had never called him Malfoy before. "I was just beginning to accept this, and you leave my best friend at the Yule Ball, nearly crying? Oh no. No, no, no, no, _no_. I don't care what plans you have to take over the world. You made a date with a girl who's nuts for you - I don't know _why_ - and I'll be Voldemort's Mother before I let you skip out on her. Go, be happy, and take over the fucking world tomorrow. It can wait."

He snarled and jerked away from her as if she had slapped him – in a way, she had. Her words implied that she knew much more than she should, and that was dangerous for her. It also meant that Callahan knew something, as well. His heart warmed for a moment, realizing this meant she accepted him for the person he had to be. It lasted only a second, however, and he glared at his sister.

"Sod off, Ember," He hissed, dangerously quiet. "You don't know _anything_!"

He turned before he slapped her, and heard hissing behind him. The sound of bare feet on stone was heard again, and this time he didn't turn. He heard his sister rambling to someone, and a low, dulcet tone told him it must have been Weasley. That left him to wonder who was following him.

"Draco, wait!"

Callahan's voice reached his ears, and he stiffened before picking up his pace. If he had been going any faster, he'd have been running towards the Slytherin common room. He hissed the password at the secret wall and slid in, hurrying to his dorm before anyone had the chance to ask him questions. Something within him stirred – the mix of alcohol, Callahan's concern, and his own worry took their toll on him, and his body heaved as he let out a shout, his cheeks wetting with tears before he buried his face into his pillow.

He heard his door click shut, and the whisper of cloth as someone neared his bed. He heard a sharp breath being inhaled, and then his bed sunk with the weight of someone lying beside him. He didn't lift his face from the pillow, but her scent still filled his nose.

"_Get out, Callahan_!"

He waited for the shifting of her weight to tell him she had left, but it never came. Instead, he felt her trembling fingers touch his back, and he jerked away from her. She touched him again, this time on his shoulder, and his morale broke. He sobbed, and she stretched her body behind his, holding him in her arms.

"I'm supposed to kill the only wizard the Dark Lord ever feared."

He had hissed it before he could stop himself. There was no gasp, no cry of outrage, just a soft, resigned sigh from the woman lying behind him.

"I know."

He lifted his face from the pillow, and turned to face her. There was nothing angry in her eyes – in fact, Draco thought he saw something akin to hope. The thought was a stupid one, and he pushed it away quickly. He opened his mouth to ask her why she was so set on living a life full of danger, and she shook her head, placing a finger over his lips.

"Tonight, I'm just a girl," She whispered. "And you're just a boy, and we're just teenagers, and there's no evil plan that you have to carry out tonight, unless it's right here in this room."

The unspoken invitation in her voice drew his breath from his lungs. They looked at each other for a moment, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between Draco and the Gryffindor. He pulled her to him and crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her as if it was the last time he would ever kiss her again.

(xxxxxxxxxxx)

Ember had dragged George to the entrance of the Slytherin dorms - purely to make sure the first thing she heard wasn't a slap, she had argued to George, who finally complied. They listened quietly as Draco shouted for Anna to leave; they had turned to hide from Anna when she emerged from the dorms, but she never did. Ember waited a few more seconds to make sure she didn't hear that expected slap. When nothing but a soft sob came through the door, she let George pull her away. Draco's voice carried out through the empty Slytherin dormitory, and the two Gryffindors stopped in their tracks.

"I'm supposed to kill the only wizard the Dark Lord ever feared."

Ember whirled on her heel to barge through the door, kill Draco, and drag Anna out by her hair, but George reached out both hands, one landing on her mouth to muffle her cries of outrage, the other to circle her waist and drag her, kicking and screaming, to the Gryffindor Common room. Once they got there, she took her shoes, still in her hands, and threw them. One hit a picture, and the witch in the frame shrieked in outrage. The other knocked over a vase, shattering it. George moved to hug her, but she glared at him, hurt and betrayal in her eyes.

"She knows," She hissed. "She knows – and she's _going to bloody seduce him_!"

She made a beeline for the door, but George grabbed her and pulled her to him. Finally, the strong, tough girl broke and sobbed cries that wracked her body. George made her sit on the couch, took a piece of parchment, and scribbled a quick note. _Hermione and Ginny - Ember is in the boys' dorm with me tonight. Don't worry, and I hope you enjoyed your night as much as we did. - George_.

He pulled her up into his arms, carried her to his dorm, and laid her on his bed. He pulled out a shirt and a pair of boxers, handing them to her and turning as she changed. She cleared her throat and he turned, his eyes widening appreciatively as he took her in. He took her dress and hung it up on the bathroom door. He scribbled another quick note, leaving it on the door to their dorm. _Boys - we have a female guest with us tonight. Please act accordingly. George._ He pulled her into his arms as they slid under the covers, and stroked her hair soothingly as she cried herself to a state of partial consciousness.

She was aware of the comforting feeling of George watching her. Her mouth was open, and she was snoring softly. She thought she heard him chuckle, but it must have been her imagination. She heard a soft click and the rustling of clothing a someone else entered the room. George turned beside her, and greeted the new comer.

"Lay with her for a bit," He asked softly. "I need some air."

There was a moment of silence where – unbeknown to Ember – the twins shared a silent understanding. Without another word, Fred slipped off his shoes, pants, and shirt, and slid into the behind Ember. George nodded his thanks, and left the room. Ember tried to hold onto consciousness until he returned, but her overwrought emotions mixed with the alcohol to make a sleeping aid more potent that the NyQuil that muggles were always going on about.

George entered his dorm again, a change of Ember's clothes in his arms. He had slipped between the dorms silently, rummaging through her trunk until he found clothes similar to the ones he often saw her in on the weekends. He set them on top of his own trunk so that's she would see them when she woke. He noticed that she was breathing deeply and evenly, and he smiled.

As he neared Fred's shoulder, he saw that his brother was snoring softly, one arm thrown lightly over Ember's waist. Ember had her back to Fred, but was snuggled firmly into his stomach. George smiled at the sight, and didn't have the heart to wake either them. Instead, he slid into bed on the other side, throwing an arm over Ember and Fred, cradling Ember's head with the other. He groaned, wondering what people would say when they discovered the two half-naked brothers and the nearly naked Ember in the same bed. He grabbed his wand off of his nightstand, closed the drapes around his bed, and spelled them to stay there until someone in the bed decided differently.

He fell asleep with the smell of Ember's hair filling her nose, almost laughing softly at the inevitable conversation he and his brother would be having in the morning.


	10. Just Crash It

**Chapter Nine**

_(Just Crash It)_

Ember woke after a night of a dreamless sleep, and stared at the two boys next to her. Her head felt fuzzy, and her stomach felt as if someone was squeezing lemon juice onto it. She remembered bits and pieces of last night; George's face, her aching feet, the cold stone wall against her back as he kissed her, and curling into his stomach as she slept. She wondered when Fred had joined them, and realized it didn't much matter to her. She smiled at first - this had interesting ideas – and then the heat set in, and she groaned.

"Rise and shine boys," She muttered, pushing them away and off the bed.

Her head hurt and her mouth tasted like dung. She rushed to the bathroom, running a brush through her hair and pulling up all of the soft curls into a ponytail. She scrubbed at her teeth, feeling much better once the taste was out of her mouth. She then groaned, realizing that her clothes were out in the room. She sighed - she had slept between them; to Hell with modesty now. She walked out, stripped, ignoring their stares.

"Did I interrupt something?"

She had walked out of the bathroom to find the boys with their heads close, their voices hushed and excited. They had bolted upright when they heard the door open, and whatever they had been talking about had taken the back burning to seeing her half dressed.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, love."

Ember started as she realized the term of endearment had come from Fred. She realized she had been staring, and George waved a hand in front of her face, causing Fred to laugh. She blushed and pulled her fresh clothes on, turning her back on the look that the twins shared with each other. When they turned their eyes back to her, something tickled her stomach and she felt like giggling.

She smiled brightly at them and flounced downstairs to see Anna. She spotted her friend lying on the couch, her dress wrinkled, makeup smeared, and hair mussed. She was under a jacket that Ember recognized as her brother's.

Ember stopped short, her eyes narrowing. She was pissed. She could do pissed. Pissed was better than crying. She stood there for a few minutes, and then heard George come up behind her, gripping her shoulder.

"What do we do?" She whispered to him, her voice threatening to break.

Ember then proceeded to whisper angrily with George. She wanted to tell Dumbledore, but George pointed out that there wasn't anything the man didn't know. Then she wanted to tell Harry, but George argued that Harry would only jump into the middle of it and get himself killed. Ember was on the verge of tears as she looked down at her sleeping friend hatefully. George pulled her into his arms and murmured to her.

"She's your best friend, love," He crooned.

"She lied to my face," She argued.

"You don't know that. Maybe she sees some hope for him," He answered stiffly, as if he couldn't believe he was defending Draco. "Either way, you can't yell at her. People will start asking, and then you'll have to tell. Having the school know won't help anything."

"Fine," She resigned with an angry sigh. "I won't yell at her."

Instead, she nodded to George, who led her through the Common Room. They glanced at Anna on their way through, George with a look of questioning Anna's sanity, and Ember with a look of pure anger. George pulled her along, taking her down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

They sat down to see their friends holding their head. Hermione and Ginny looked at George and Ember and smirked, having made their own ideas up about the previous night. They all looked positively hung over, and the Great Hall was - thankfully - quiet. Ember stiffened when Draco walked in, and if it hadn't been for George's painful squeezing of her knee, she would have cursed him right there.

She caught her brother's gaze, and he attempted a scowl when he caught her watching him. Something was strange about his eyes, but Ember couldn't put her finger on it. She realized that his scowl was just an echo of his normal sneers, and the thought pulled the corners of her mouth down into a frown. Then his words echoed in her mind, and her eyes narrowed instantly as she glared at him, cold and unfeeling.

Anna walked into the Great Hall, and bumped into Draco's back. She startled both herself and the Slytherin, who turned to stare at Anna as though he had never seen her before. It seemed like time stopped as his face slid into a scowl that Ember could see from her seat. He turned on his heel and stalked to his table, leaving Anna looking thoroughly confused. She searched the Gryffindor table and met Ember's gaze, which had narrowed to glare at her, as well.

Ember watched as her friend's eyes widened with realization, and then filled with tears. She flicked her eyes to Dumbledore, who was watching over the Great Hall with a tired smile on his face. Then her eyes sought out George, who was doing his best to avoid meeting her gaze. Anna's arms tightened around herself, and she turned her back to the Great Hall, leaving the room.

Ember let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and felt George take her hand in his. She watched Anna walk away and shivered as a sudden "someone just walked over my grave" feeling passed through her. She forced her eyes to look at the Headmaster, and her heart jumped to her throat at how weary he looked. Something clenched in her stomach, and she felt like she was going to get sick.

Ember hoped this feeling was only her hangover.

* * *

"We can't keep pretending there's nothing between the three of us."

George's smooth voice was low enough not to carry, but Ember knew that Fred would have no problem hearing it from his spot to her left. The seventh year boys' dorm was empty save the three of them; most of the older students were spending the day in Hogsmeade, but Ember's post-season cold kept her snuggled under the blankets of George's bed.

The weather had warmed significantly in the past three months, and Hogwarts was cleansed with day after day of unrelenting rain. Today, however, the sound of water pattering on the roof of the school relaxed Ember into a state of semi-consciousness. She was aware of the twins laying on either side of her, but she felt oddly detached from her body. George's voice mixed wonderfully with the rain to create a perfect lullaby, and she was content to keep her eyes closed, letting the boys believe she was asleep.

"There _is_ nothing between the three of us."

Fred's voice passed over her body, and if she hadn't been so relaxed, she would have frowned. She assumed that the boys felt nothing but a twin's love for the other, but that said nothing about the feelings that passed between George _and_ his brother.

"How can you not notice the way she watched you?"

There was nothing dark in George's voice as he said this. In fact, Ember could almost _hear_ the laughter in his words. Fred stiffened beside her, and she could feel a soft vibration as the latter twin growled softly.

"She has eyes only for you, George."

This time Ember _did_ frown, but neither boy seemed to notice it. She couldn't name the exact moment she fell in love with both of the twins. It had been sometime between waking up between them after the Yule Ball, and the odd looks the trio received from their friends when they became inseparable. She didn't know _when_ she fell in love with them, but she knew she had – she just hadn't known George had realized this, too.

"Don't be a hero," He scoffed at his brother. "You _love_ her."

Fred didn't reply, but she felt his fingers as they worked soothingly through her hair. They worked with a rhythm that only familiarity could create, and she knew that his small action was confirmation enough.

"You loved her first."

George snorted his amusement and rolled on his side to look at his brother. His fingers worked absently over the skin on her cheek, and she knew that if the two of them kept this up, she really _would_ fall asleep. The bed shook with George's soft laughter, and she let herself sink into the heat generated between to two boys.

"When has _first_ ever made a difference?" He asked incredulously. "Don't look at me that way – you know I'm right."

"But she's a _person_," Fred insisted. "Not a toy, or a broom, or Mum's lectures. We can't share _her_."

"Why not?" George asked seriously. "Afraid she'll choose me in the end, after all?"

The bed jerked as Fred pulled his hand from her hair and reached over her. She heard the soft sound of his fist sinking playfully into George's arm, and the boys laughed softly. She felt the comfortable and familiar weight of their gazes as they both turned to look at her, their fingers working through her hair to sooth her into a deeper state of relaxation.

"She'd never agree," Fred sighed with resignation. "And how would we explain it?"

Ember wanted to open her mouth to protest, but she couldn't even get her tongue to move. She fumed mentally, forced to lie there and listen to them discuss her relationships – _without_ her input. She wished that one of them could read her mind, but was content to lie and listen – there was nothing else she could do.

"Why should we have to explain it?" George pressed, and moved on when he got no answer. "You'd be surprised. Our Ember is much more open-minded than we give her credit for."

_Our Ember_ echoed in her mind, and she subconsciously curled closer to George as he said it. Fred noticed, but compensated by moving more tightly against her side. Under normal circumstances, she would have yelled at them that she was dying of heat stroke. Today, the rainy weather and her cold made her revel in and welcome the heat.

The boys continued talking, but their voices were just noise now. Ember tried to make out their words, but the low, dulcet tones of the twins' conversation pulled her deeper into her relaxed state. Then, she couldn't even hear them; the world was silent and dark as Ember finally drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, she noticed that George was the only one in bed with her. He was leaning intently over something, and she cleared her throat when she realized that he was working on an essay for one of his classes. He looked over at her, a sheepish grin on his face as he set his assignment aside and kissed her forehead.

"Don't tell the others," He teased. "I'd hate to have to live up to their new expectations."

She tried to reply, but her voice came out cracked and raspy. She winced as her throat tightened around her words, and smiled gratefully when George reached towards his nightstand, producing a glass of cool water. She drank it greedily, closing her eyes in relief as the cold liquid soothed her throat and watered her dry voice.

"Thank you," She sighed, handing the glass back to him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, cradling her head on his shoulder. "Did resting help?"

"If resting helped, I would have been healthy three days ago," She mumbled, reminding him that she hadn't done much other than sleep. "Where's Fred?"

"I sent him ahead to dinner," George smiled softly down at her. "I didn't know when you would be awake."

Ember's stomach rumbled in response to his words, and the red-head laughed softly as he slid off the bed. He held out his hand, and Ember took it, forcing her stiff joints to move as she, too, slid off of the bed. George wrapped and arm around her shoulders and led her through the castle, the two following the scent of food until they entered the Great Hall. Fred looked their way and smiled, and Ember couldn't help but remember the conversation she had overheard. She blushed, hoping her friends took it as the flushing of her fever.

"She walks," Ginny quipped, already digging into her food. "It's a miracle."

"The real miracle," Ron laughed after he swallowed his food. "Is that she spent the entire day locked away with them, and didn't kill them."

George and Fred rolled their eyes towards their brother, and forced a fake, cynical laugh. George helped Ember to her seat, to Fred's right, and sat on her other side. To their credit, Ember's friends had stopped glancing curiously at the three shortly after they started appearing everywhere together. Only Ron continued to gaze on in question, but Ember had the notion that no much made sense to Ron.

"Where's Anna?"

Everyone turned to look at Ember, who raised both of her eyebrows in confusion. Had her question really raised so much suspicion? While it was true that she and her friend hadn't been on the best of terms since the night of the ball, they didn't _hate_ each other. Ember glanced around again, noticing that she didn't see Harry, either. Ember turned to Hermione when all of the others stayed silent.

"Anna hasn't left our dorm since you became sick," Hermione told her. "She must be coming down with it, too – she doesn't sleep, she rarely eats, and she looks as though she's been crying all of the time."

The group turned as their afore mentioned friend walked up to the table. She nodded her hello to everyone, and sat stiffly in the seat furthest from Ember. Frowning, Ember noticed Hermione had been telling her the truth; Anna's eyes were bloodshot, and stood out in stark contrast to the circles under her eyes. Her lips stretched in a thin, white line, and Ember noticed she was holding a new bottle of Dreamless Draught.

"Are you having nightmares again?"

Ember hadn't meant for the question to sound as taunting as it had come out. Anna turned her head to face her slowly, and Ember scowled when Anna's eyes flickered to Draco before nodding stiffly. Ember turned to catch George's eyes, and the boy shrugged with just as much confusion as Ember felt.

Ember watched as Anna picked at her food, and was dismayed to realize she had lost her appetite as well. George and Fred tried – quite literally – to force feed her, but had given up when she threatened to stab them with their forks. Anna had left the Great Hall before dinner had even ended, and Ember scowled as she followed her friend with her eyes. Sighing, she pushed herself away from the table, and stood as well.

"I'm not hungry," She officially stated, watching as George left the table as well. "You don't have to come with me. I'm quite capable of making it to the common room on my own."

George smiled softly, as if he was debating on arguing the point or not. Saying nothing, he silently slid an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the hall. They made their way slowly to the Gryffindor Tower, and Ember was chagrined to realize that the little time she had spent out of bed had worn her body out. George sensed her weariness, and led her to the couch, not bothering to make her climb the stairs to the dorm rooms.

She kicked off the shoes she had put on before dinner, and rested comfortably against George's chest as they stretched the length of the couch. His heart beat set the rhythm to which his fingers moved through her hair, and Ember's eyes closed of their own accord. The light of the fire played against her eyelids, but even that disappeared as she fell asleep.

She woke again when quick footsteps echoed through the common room. She noticed that the fire had died down to glowing embers, and that George was sleeping soundly behind her. The sky outside of the window was dark, and she knew by the eerie silence sinking into her bones that the castle had settled down for the night.

She looked around the common room for the source of the noise, and saw Anna slinking silently through the shadows. On a whim, she stood and left George sleeping, following as silently as she could as Anna made her way through the castle. They wounds through corridor after corridor until Anna made her way into the Astrology Tower. As she turned, Ember could see a knowing, sickened look on her friend's face. Now having a purpose, Ember slipped into the tower behind Anna.

The two girls slipped under the rafters, and Ember started when she noticed Harry. The boy looked sick, and Ember wondered what the two of them knew that she didn't. His eyes flickered towards Anna, and then upward, and then back at Ember. It was then that Anna turned and faced Ember, and anger flashed through her eyes as she opened her mouth to argue. Ember quickly shook her head with wide eyes, and held a finger to her lips as the floorboards above their head squealed with new weight.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy."

Dumbledore's wise voice carried down to the Gryffindors, who looked up through the cracks in the floor to see that Draco had indeed entered. Ember scowled for a moment, before her brother's words echoed through her mind. Her stomach dropped to her feet as she realized that, somehow, Anna had known tonight was the night. She let out a soft breath, and hoped her friend was right about her brother.

"Who else is here?" She heard Draco demand, nervously. "I heard you talking!"

"I often talk to myself, I find it extraordinarily useful." Dumbledore replied, as if that were a completely normal thing to say. There was a pause, and Dumbledore continued, unphased. "You are no assassin, Draco."

"How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you!"

Draco's outburst made Ember's heart stop beating for a moment, and it kick started itself when the clattering of a wand falling to the ground reached her ears. She felt her breath catch, and she almost sobbed as she saw that the wand was rolling away from Dumbledore. The old wizard, however, seemed as calm as ever as he continued talking to her brother.

"Oh, like cursing Katie Bell and hoping that they'd then return to bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison?" Ember swallowed hard; Dumbledore had always known. "Forgive me Draco," Dumbledore continued, "I cannot help feeling these actions are so weak, that your heart can't have really been in it."

"I was chosen." Draco was panting now.

"You're not alone," Dumbledore said simply. "There are others. How?"

"The vanishing cabinet," Draco replied. "I've been mending it."

"And I guess it has a sister. Which one?"

Ember's mind reeled as she attempted to keep up with the conversation. The vanishing cabinet from the Room of Requirements seemed irrelevant to everything before. Ember had stored it as useless information to keep for a more useful time. Her breath caught again as she realized exactly what her brother had been spending his time doing.

"Borgin and Burke's. They form a passage."

"Ingenious." Dumbledore applauded, but then turned somber. "Draco, years ago, I knew a boy, who made all the wrong choices. Please, let me help you."

"I don't need your help," Draco cried, and Ember noticed he sounded unsure. "Don't you understand? _I have to do this!_" He breathed deeply trying to calm himself. "I have to kill you...or He's going to kill me."

Draco was scared; Ember didn't have to be his twin to know that. She could hear it in the way his voice shook, and the way he shifted from one foot to the other. She willed him to lower his wand, to walk away from this. She was thinking thoughts so quickly that she barely had time to grasp on to one before another took its place. Her face was burning, and it itched, and she noticed there were tears streaming from her eyes.

"Well, what do we have here?"

The sadistically amused voice from Ember's childhood haunted her; she shivered as Bellatrix Lestrange walked up behind her brother. She snuck up behind Anna, placing a hand around her mouth and using her other hand to pull her friend's hand away - her nails were torn and ragged. She glanced over at Harry and held a finger to her lips, and he nodded. They all looked up. Bellatrix, along with another man were pacing, demanding that Draco get it over with already.

They all looked behind them as Snape came out of the shadows, also holding a finger to his lips. They watched him climb the stairs, standing behind Draco. Ember watched with wide eyes as Bellatrix prodded Draco, begging, screaming. Draco's face was red with exhaustion now - he was going to lower his wand. His heart wasn't in it. Ember almost smiled. She heard Dumbledore whisper.

"Severus... Please."

It was over. He was safe. She was about to drop her hand when she heard the two most disturbing words to ever enter her ears.

"Avada Kedavra."

Her body went numb. She stared up at Snape, who had seemed to forget they were there. Bellatrix squealed with laughter, running through the castle. Harry took off after them, and Ember ran up the stairs. She looked over the railing, sobbing when she saw the body. She flew through the castle, joining the students and teachers who were starting to gather. George and Fred bustled up to stand beside her. They each put their arms silently around her, and Hermione and Ron joined them, Hermione sobbing and hiding her face in Ron's shoulder. Ginny watched with wide eyes, and Ember pulled her friend into her arms as they sobbed.

She was vaguely aware of the bright wall of fire that erupted down the hill, and she also knew that it was Hagrid's house. She looked over Ginny's shoulder, noticing that both the giant and his dog were here with them, blubbering - the both of them. Her mind was reeling. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. They were supposed to have gone to the Yule Ball. They were supposed to have had a blast. Make memories. Make _babies_, even, if that had been the case.

She looked around her, and she could feel her body convulsing. She didn't know if it was the sobs, or the vomit threatening to come up. She looked down at Dumbledore - how had it come to this? How had they ended up mourning the loss of Albus Dumbledore? Ember watched with empty eyes as Harry stumbled through the crowd - he was beaten and bruised, but didn't care. He fell onto Dumbledore's body, crying freely. Ginny left her arms, wrapping hers in turn around Harry.

Ember felt Fred and George press tighter to her, both of them kissing the top of her head. She looked up at the sight of a small light, and noticed it was coming from McGonagall's wand. The light shot up, and into the Dark Mark. Other students and teachers raised their wands, sending their light into the mouth of the serpent.

Ember dragged her eyes towards Anna, and watched her friend follow Remus Lupin through the crowd. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to be mad. Furious. Murderous. Anger she could handle. She didn't know how to deal with this feeling of... utter devastation. Her face burned, and her eyes hurt, and she was completely aware that she was full-on snot crying, but she didn't care. She lowered her wand, her legs shaking as she turned her head into George's shoulder. Finally, she looked at Anna, and held her arms out to her friend.

McGonagall let them all linger a few moments longer, but the minutes stretched into an eternity for Ember. The group of Gryffindors – sans Harry, who insisted on staying with Dumbledore's body – made their way up to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady was sobbing loudly, and almost didn't hear them as they muttered the password. She swung open, and the portrait shook with the force of her sobs.

"Maybe we should stay with the Weasleys this summer."

Anna's voice was soft, and she almost didn't hear her. Ember nodded numbly, and made a comment about saying something to George. They all knew they'd be welcome at the Burrow - Mrs. Weasely would want them all in the same house, where she could keep a close eye on them. The motherly woman loved them all to death, sometimes to the point of suffocation, but Ember knew it was what they needed. She felt vaguely guilty at the thought of leaving her mother in the manor by herself, but calmed herself with her mother's voice telling her she understood her need to mourn with her friends.

She made Anna help her move the mattresses off of their beds, forming a huge bed on the floor. Hermione and Ginny grabbed pillows and blankets, and the four of them fell onto the bed, silently, holding each other as they sniffled the last of their tears. Somehow, at some time, they drifted off to sleep.

Ember dreamt.

_She stood overlooking a field. The hand in front of her was unfamiliar. The world looked different through these eyes. Darker. Unfamiliar. She waved the strange hand, and the field burst into flames. She felt her lips pull into a smile as it began to rain. The drops fell on her arm. Fat, red drops that warmed her skin.  
_


	11. Break Me Down, Bury Me

**Chapter Ten**

_(Break Me Down, Bury Me)_

The shower didn't comfort Ember as much as it normally did; she had spent five minutes under the stream of water before she realized she wasn't in the mood to stand under the water. No matter how hot she turned the water, the chill that had planted itself in her bones couldn't be shaken. Ember washed as quickly as she could, and she shut the water off with a determined slap to the spigot.

When she walked into the dorm room, wrapped in her towel, she looked down to see Anna looking around frantically. When they locked eyes, the girl visibly relaxed; Anna didn't have to speak for Ember to know she feared the loss of someone else. Ember nodded tensely, and Anna stood, slipping past her silently into the bathroom. Ember noticed that Hermione and Ginny were milling about the dorm room, slipping into clothes that they had laid out the night before.

The light coming into the window of the dorm was the pale gray of a rainy day. Ember stopped to appreciate the sardonic way the weather seemed to mourn the loss of Albus Dumbledore. A frown pulled at her mouth and tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she thought of the Headmaster, once believed to be indestructible. Her eyes were glued to the window as the realization of his humanity set in, and left her with the same chill she had tried to fight with the hot water.

Anna coming out of the bathroom brought Ember out of her reverie. She started; she hadn't realized she had been standing motionless so long. The look on Anna's face told her the opposite – Anna hadn't felt like standing in the shower longer than necessary. They shared a mirrored expression of slight shock, and moved to their trunks to get dressed in their mourning clothes. Ember's hands moved stiffly, and she had the odd feeling that she was working on autopilot to do what she had to do.

The only sounds in the dorm were the ones of the girls dressing. Occasionally, Ember would hear one of the girls sniffling their grief back, but no one said a word. As they finished dressing in their mourning clothes, the girls wordlessly and simultaneously left the dorm room. Their footfalls echoed in the stairwell, and the boys barely looked up as they joined them in the common room. Ember's heart wrenched at the sight of the twins' dismayed looks, and Ron's scowl of despair.

Ember took her - seemingly normal, recently - place between Fred and George, taking both of their hands in her shaking ones. The boys nodded, and they led the way to the Black Lake, the shores of which would be the host of the funeral. They filed into their seats – hundreds of golden chairs sat facing a marble table. Fred, Ember, George, Anna, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all linked hands, watching vacantly as students, teachers, and wizards from all over filed in. Ember saw the Weasleys, the Callahans, and people she had met on the road to becoming a witch. Even Madame Maxime and some of her students had come for the funeral. They all fell silent as the Minister of Magic, who had a change of heart last year at their encounter with Voldemort, took the podium in front of Dumbledore's body. Ember felt tired, and sore, and like lead. Otherwise, she felt numb as she listened to his speech.

She watched as person after person made their way to the head of the gathering, each giving their respects to Dumbledore. She finally let her eyes settle on the table, and she felt her heart jerk violently in her chest. She buried her face into George's shoulder, and shrugged his hand away when he tried to stroke her hair. Ember finally realized that she didn't want to be comforted – she had much to mourn, and it was time for her to do so.

She felt her heart break a little more with each thing she mourned. The image of her brother being pulled away by Bellatrix Lestrange made her chest heave, and she had the strange feeling of needing to vomit. Her brother had caught her eye, and there had been nothing there but remorse and fear. She vaguely wondered if it would have been easier if he had killed Dumbeldore like he was supposed to, but the knowledge that he couldn't did little to ease the ache in her chest.

A familiar looking woman passed through her line of sight, and Ember started when she realized it was her mother. Ayr Malfoy's mouth was pinched tightly in what Ember knew was simmering anger, and her cheeks were sallow. Her eyes seemed a little too big for her face, as if her skin had shrunk to sling to her bones, leaving her features too sharp and defined. Ember frowned, and her tears started anew at the idea of leaving her mother alone this summer.

She thought about her father – had Lucius Malfoy heard of Dumbledore's death by now? Was he rejoicing, either out of sincerity or obligation? Or had he had a change of heart, as Draco had? She sobbed noisily into George's shoulder as images of her dysfunctional, disjointed family floated through her mind, taunting her. George wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and held her to his side tightly.

When she was able to see clearly again, she watched as her mother deliberately leaned down and placed a kiss on Dumbledore's cold forehead. The image saddened Ember more than it sickened her, and she had the sudden urge to run to her mother's side and cry into her shoulder as she had when she was a child. When her mother turned, however, the urge left Ember as suddenly as it had come to her; her mother's eyes reminded her of her father's – cold, vacant, and apathetic. Ayr Malfoy walked back down the aisle, and disappeared without acknowledging her daughter's presence.

Ember was surprised when she felt her heart harden rather than shatter. The look in her mother's eyes had told Ember that her mother had made up her mind, and Ember wasn't sure she'd like the decision. Her mouth hurt as she set her lips to pull into a thin line of anger, and something cold reached inside of her to grip her gut. She shivered, earning an alarmed glance from George, and then the feeling passed.

Ember knew that Ayr Malfoy had let her bloodline choose her destiny, after all.

(xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

Ember looked around her dorm room, wondering if it would be the last time she would see it. Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without Dumbledore. Hell - she didn't even know if Hogwarts would be _safe_ without Dumbledore. She turned to face her Anna, Hermione and Ginny; the red-head's eyes were red, and Ember knew there was more there than Dumbledore's her trunk, and nodding, Ember led the way out of the dorm, stopping to glance around quickly before shutting the door behind her and her friends.

Fred, George and Ron waited for them in the common room, and Ember frowned when she noticed Harry's absence. A questioning look at the Weasley boys, returned with vacant stares, told Ember that they didn't know anymore than she did. With a resigned sigh, she gripped her trunk tighter and followed the boys out of the common room, and eventually out of the castle.

The seven Gryffindors climbed into one of the carriages pulled by the black thestrals. Ember vaguely wondered if Anna could see them now too, but said nothing, resting her head on George's shoulder and holding tightly to Fred's hand. As Ember watched the castle grow smaller with distance, she shivered with an odd _walking-over-my-grave _feeling. She blinked, and it passed just as quickly as it had gripped her. They boarded the train, and Ember looked out the window, feeling as if this were the last time she would see Hogwarts. She blew a kiss for some unknown reason. She settled back in her seat, and laughed cynically to herself as she realized she was kissing her innocence - _everyone's_ innocence - goodbye.

The entire train was a silent and somber as their own compartment. Ember slept most of the way home, her dreams plagued with images of Dumbledore's lifeless body falling out of the Astronomy Tower. A cackling laugh echoed around her as she watched, and lightning that hadn't been there danced with the sound as if the laughter were thunder. She would wake up each time shaking, trying to brush off the blood that had been falling from the sky in her dream. She would sigh heavily as she readjusted her head on George's leg, and let her heavy eyes close again.

King's Cross Station was full of parents rushing to greet their children as soon as they had gotten off the bus. Ember noticed with dismay that there weren't nearly as many parents as there were at the end of her first five years; more students had been pulled from Hogwarts early than Ember had originally realized. Her friends seemed to notice this too; they huddled closer to each other, as if the closeness of each other was a way to remain safe.

"Is everyone ready?"

Ember looked up at George, who was looking around at the group of 'younger' students. As they all nodded, they circled around the two twins. Fred reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cup. Ember looked at him rather incredulously, and the boy rolled his eyes as he set it on the ground in the middle of their small circle. George cleared his throat and pointed his wand at the cup.

"_Portus_."

The cup glowed dimly for a moment, and then looked like a normal cup. Nodding to himself, George pocketed his wand and took the first step towards the cup. Ember took a breath and bravely joined him; to her knowledge, this was the first time George – or any of them, for that matter – had made a portkey rather than using one already made. She tried to settle her flipping stomach, and it helped a bit when Hermione was the next to step up.

"On the count of three," Fred mumbled to them. "One… two… three!"

The seven Gryffindors bent and placed a finger on the cup, which then seemed to suck the world away from under their feet. Ember's stomach immediately lurched into her throat, and it was all she could do to keep from vomiting. As suddenly as it had disappeared, the ground met Ember's feet with a sickening jolt, and she felt shaken to the core. She looked around in a daze, and relief washed over her when she saw the leaning Burrow not too far away from her. She let out a soft noise of appreciation, and was the first of her friends to make her way across the field towards the house.

Mrs. Weasley was waiting when they walked up the pathway, and past the garden, to the house. She hugged them all in turn before allowing them in. Mr. Weasley was already sitting at the table eating dinner, along with Bill and Fleur, whose wedding was coming up this summer - so George and Fred and said. Ember immediately felt at home; it was more homey than the manor, and ten times as welcoming.

"I've made some stew, why don't you all go up and put your bags away, and I'll dish you up."

Mrs. Weasley's familiar comment – as laden with sadness as it was – comforted Ember; in fact, it seemed to have an effect on them all. The boys began carrying on about who had to help their mother with the dishes, and the girls immediately bolted up the stairs. Ember followed Anna up to the room they would be sharing - across the hall from Fred and George, and down the hall from the room Ginny and Hermione would be sharing. She put her trunk by the foot of her bed, frowning as she thought that it looked a bit out of place anywhere other than her dorm room at Hogwarts. She sighed softly, following Anna out of their room. She almost smiled when George and Fred left their room, and she let them pull her into their arms. She could have stayed like that for hours, if Ron hadn't come by and cleared his throat, shooting them all an inquisitive glance. Ember found that she still had the energy to blush, and followed the boys down to the kitchen.

The stew smelled great, and tasted even better. She looked around, glad to be in a welcoming environment, but noticed how odd it felt without Harry there. She wondered after him, but lifted her spirits slightly by knowing they'd see him soon, whether he liked it or not. By the time she had finished her stew, her appetite had come back so much that she allowed Mrs. Weasley to serve her a second bowl. Ember watched in slight amusement as hunger seemed to become everyone's priority. Everyone, that was, except Fleur. The French pastry had herself plastered all over Bill, mumbling with pretty words about their upcoming nuptials.

Ember felt like throwing something at Fleur. Didn't she know that one of the greatest wizards ever had just been murdered? Not to mention by one of his trusted friends. She thought maybe Fleur's brain needed a higher resolution to see the big pictures. Halfway through her second bowl of stew, she pushed it away from her, sinking down into her chair and crossing her arms. Her stomach cramped on itself, and she suddenly felt as if she was going to be sick. A sudden paranoia overwhelmed her - if Hogwarts, the safest place in history wasn't safe anymore... Where was? The Burrow had been attacked before... She swallowed the lump and slid her hand into George's.

"Thank you for the stew, Mrs. Weasley," She smiled softly. "It hit the spot." _And bore a hole in my gut_, but she left that part out.

The compliment fell on deaf ears; Mrs. Weasley was staring through lowered lids at Fleur, who was caressing the air with her hand as she spoke with Bill. As soon as she noticed the scowl, Ember tensed; it seemed like the warmth left the room whenever Mrs. Weasley got angry.

"A great wizard has just _died_."

Fleur fixed Molly Weasley with a dead stare, her blue eyes wide and innocent. Her face formed into a pout that was half seductive and half ridiculous. Fleur placed her hand lightly on Bill's shoulder, and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"I know zat," Fleur crooned in her accent. "I was just tryeeng to help left everyone's spirits after zees 'orrible tragedy."

The girl then batted her eyelashes at an unimpressed Mrs. Weasley. Bill was rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, and Fred and George were wagging their eyebrows at each other. Ember shot them a scowl and kicked them both under the table. That was when she noticed that Ron's eyes were glazed over as he stared at the blonde. Ember thought she saw drool sliding down his chin, but it may have been her imagination cracking under the pressure of the past few days. She couldn't help it - she reached over and swatted Ron's shoulder, leaning towards his ear.

"Clean your drool up or I'll snog _both_ your brothers tonight," She hissed.

She stood from the table, shooting a glare at Fleur, and walked outside the Burrow. The air was refreshing, cool against her skin. It cleared her mind, and for the first time in what seemed like ages, she was at peace. She let her knees give out from under her, and sat harshly on the stoop of the Burrow. She heard someone come out behind her, and she turned to look at Ginny. The red-head sat beside her, taking one of Ember's hand in her own before sighing softly into the wind.

"Where do you think he is?" She asked softly; Ember frowned and scanned the horizon.

"Somewhere close," She nodded. "He wouldn't leave without checking up his girl." She smiled softly at Ginny and nudged her shoulder.

"What do we do now?" The redhead asked.

Ember frowned and let her eyes drop to her feet. She put her head in her hands and shook it.

"I don't know anymore."

Ember accepted Ginny's hug, and the two girls sat outside a few moments longer. The wind carried a certain chill with it that was unusual for late Spring, and it drove the girls inside before too long. She debated sleeping in Fred and George's room, but didn't know how well that would go over with Mama Bear. Mrs. Weasley glared at Fleur whenever she so much as _glanced_ at Bill. Then again, Ember wasn't a French horn with no tune. She cynically laughed at herself, and carried herself into the house, climbing up the stair to the bedroom. She looked at Anna, who was tossing on the bed, looking both frustrated and determined.

"What's up?"

Before Anna could answer her, they heard the beginnings of an argument downstairs. The girls listened to the thundering footsteps as the other children ran upstairs and into the small bedroom. Anna and Ember exchanged curious glances, but both knew that the only thing to do when Mrs. Weasley got angry was run, and run fast. Without saying a word, Ember slid over into George's lap as he sat down, placing her feet in Fred's. Hermione sat with her legs crossed at the foot of the bed, and Ginny pushed Anna over to lie next to her on the other bed. Ember vaguely wondered where Ron was, and then sighed, feeling useless.

"We've got to come up with a plan," She mumbled, more to herself than the other. "Some plan. Any plan."

"Well…" They all looked to Anna as she spoke up, picking at her jeans as she sat up. "I'm going to be looking for Draco this summer at Malfoy Manor." They all looked at her incredulously, but she pressed on. "Lucius will probably have returned, but I don't care – I can't let them have him. Not now that I've seen there's some good in him."

Ember scowled, but said nothing. She felt George and Fred tense under her, and Ginny immediately began whispering angry words to Anna. The girl's face didn't fall; Ember was surprised to see soft, angry lines forming as Anna's determination wrote itself across her features.

"He's nothing but a stuck up follower," Fred mumbled.

"A good-for-nothing scum bag," George agreed.

Ember listened silently as they berated him, and said nothing. He _was_ a good-for-nothing scum bag. He had hurt Anna, pushed her away. But he was her brother, and he had finally let Anna in - trusted her. Didn't that count for something? She looked over at Hermione, who seemed to be having the same internal battle that she was having. Anna was chewing nervously on her lip, but she still looked determined. Ember sighed and almost shook her head at herself – she couldn't believe she was doing this.

"…ferret breath to take over the world," Fred scoffed.

"He'll kill us as soon as look at us," George concurred.

"I think we should go with her," Ember mumbled, receiving stares from the twins. She raised her chin up and scowled. "I don't like him anymore than you, and he's _my_ brother. But Anna sees something, and she's going, and I think we should too. Draco probably knows about Voldemort's plans - we could help Harry! And we can't split up - the wizard world is going to be tearing itself up over Dumbledore's death - which is what Voldemort wanted. We can't split up."

Her reasoning had fallen on deaf ears. She looked up to see Anna, who was gritting her teeth and working her jaw. She fixed the twins with a scowl worthy of the Malfoy name, and crossed her arms dangerously over her chest.

"That good-for-nothing _could_ have killed Dumbledore," She hissed. "But he didn't. I know, I know – he cursed Katie Bell, made Harry's year hell, poisoned Ron, and can be downright insufferable. I didn't see that in the Astronomy Tower, though. I saw someone who was just like us – scared, alone, and who didn't want to do what he had to do. He actually acted – if only for a second – like he _cared_. I can't just ignore that – I can't let the hope that he's human slip through my fingers. I know everyone hates him – you all have a reason to. For that reason, I'll go – _alone_."

"You're such a romantic," Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's becoming a troublesome flaw."

"You can't go alone, Anna," Hermione muttered. "It's too dangerous."

Ember rolled her eyes. "You and Harry must have been separated at birth or something."

She leaned back into George's chest, nodding as Ron walked into the room, sitting on the floor by Hermione's feet.

"What's going on down there?" Anna asked, and Ron grimaced.

"Fleur's calling mum a wicked witch and mum's calling Fleur an insensitive bag of hot air. What did I miss?"

Ember rolled her eyes and pointed at Anna.

"Little Miss Vigilante wants to go to Malfoy Manor this summer. Alone. George and Fred are being insufferable prats, pointing out flaws that Miss Rosey Glasses can't swallow, and now we're waiting for her to realize that we're going to come with her whether she wants us to or not." She gave Ron a look: _one word against me and I'll rip your tongue out_. She swatted Fred as he started rubbing the arches of her feet. "I can't be determined when you're massaging my feet, nit."

The weight of her own words settled on her shoulders, and Ember had a moment to appreciate the irony of sneaking into her own house. All she would have to do was march into her house, grab Draco by his hair, and drag him out. However, the idea of seeing her father made her stomach turn sour, and her mother's cold ignorance at Dumbledore's funeral made Ember's blood run cold with bitterness. She would do this as destructively as possible, if only to spite her family which had done so much to spite her. She was pulled out of her reverie when Anna sighed in resignation.

"How do we get there?"

Ember frowned, and then Ron lit up, looking wildly around the room.

"The car!"

George and Fred rolled their eyes. "It's broken," They observed together.

Ron glared and then pointed. "I'm sure Hermione knows a spell that can fix it up, and you two can drive, so one of you will do it! It's brilliant - no one will notice it missing, because everyone thinks it's broken."

Ember lifted an eyebrow - it was a surprisingly good plan.

"It'll be a tight fit," Hermione mused. "But I'm sure I could slip a spell in there to make the inside mgically more roomy. That's the least of my troubles, when I'm helping you steal your parents' car - _again_."

Ron snorted at Hermione, but nothing was taking the light out of his eyes. Ember nodded, her lips pulled into a tight line as she began mapping the route to her house from the Burrow. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Good. We leave tonight when everyone's in bed. For now, we're doing nothing but getting ready for bed, so... off to bed with you then."

Everyone stood up, making a rather noisy show of moving through rooms to get to their beds. Ember suddenly grinned as she watched them leave the room; it felt good to be doing something useful again. She and Anna fell back onto their beds, not bothering to change into their night robes, knowing that they'd only be changing again soon. Ember heard Anna's sigh and the sound of the bed creaking as her friend rolled over. Ember frowned and stared at the ceiling.

Returning to Malfoy Manor had once been a joyous occasion to Ember – and to her twin brother. She remembered the countless cranes they had charmed to each other on the train rides home, gushing about new hiding places to explore and old staff to torture. They had, in all truth, been rotten children, but they had begun to outgrow until their father revealed he had been at Voldemort's side.

Perhaps it was the news that had began to drive Ember and Draco apart; their mourning methods had been different, naturally. Ember, in the end, and kept with her original disdain of blood status, taking after her mother. Draco had grown to think like his father – he was of the noble blood, and felt he was entitled to special treatment because there were no muggles in his blood line.

The twins had grown distant, but hadn't quite grown hostile. It wasn't until the summer before her sixth year that Draco had begun spitting hateful words to her, slapping her if he felt she _overstepped her bounds_ or _forgot her place_. Her cheek stung with the memory of his first slap, and then she realized it was the angry tears that were leaking from her eyes.

And her _mother_, Ember scowled silently. Her _mother_ – sweet, caring Ayr Malfoy – was acting as cold and distant as her father. It almost stunned her into stupidity, but she told herself that it wasn't so surprising, after all. She didn't know the reasons behind her, but her mother had joined the dark side of the war with her family – excluding Ember, of course. Her fists clenched as she thought of her mother's corruption. Ayr Malfoy was supposed to be the voice of reason in her family – now, she had no voice of her own at all.

"I'm glad you were right," Was all she could think of to say to Anna. "About him not going through with it."

Anna said nothing, and the girls waiting together in silence, as they had grown so used to doing.


	12. Retaliation

**Chapter Eleven**

_(Retaliation)_

Just as Ember was feeling like she couldn't take lying still anymore, she heard the soft sounds of the Burrow being shut down for the night. She held her finger to her lips and crept up to her door. She heard the soft groaning of the floor underneath, the muffled shuffles of the Weasley parents as they closed up the house for the night. She waited, holding her breath, until she heard the click of their bedroom door. A few minutes later, there was soft snoring. She felt herself relax, and she smiled at Anna.

"Go get Hermione and Ginny. The boys and I will meet you by the shed." She left, going to get Fred, George, and Ron from their rooms.

The boys seemed as antsy as she felt; she was surprised to see that Ron had forgone climbing more stairs to his bedroom and chose to stay with the twins while they waited. Ember opened the door, and the three Weasley boys immediately smiled widely. Ember didn't know whether it was the idea of being able to kidnap Draco Malfoy, or if they felt as glad as she did to be able to do _something_, but they raced past her – as silently as possible – to leave the Burrow.

Every step they took sounded like an atomic bomb going off in Ember's mind. The normally obnoxious stairs seemed dangerous as they groaned under the weight of the teens. The floor squeaked as they made their way past the Weasley parents' room, and Ember made them all stop until they heard the reassuring snoring of Arthur. The four teens let out a collective sigh of relief, and then crept to the door, which opened too noisily for Ember's liking. Regardless, they managed to get out and close the door, which clicked shut like a clap of thunder, and made their way towards the shed.

After a moment or two of pacing restlessly, Ember saw three figures racing from the direction of the Burrow. The moonlight caught Ginny's red hair, and Ember waved them over out of lack of anything better to do. Anna, Hermione and Ginny stopped in front of her, looking breathless and flushed with excitement. Together, the seven teens worked to open the door of the shed, and they stood looking at the awkward Ford Angelia. Ron rubbed the back of his neck, and Anna smiled brightly.

"Alright, Hermione," The girl quipped. "Work your – for lack of a better word – _magic_."

Ember rolled her eyes and snorted at her friend's cheesy pun. Hermione rolled her eyes too, but there was a glitter in them she hadn't seen since last year, when they had created Dumbledore's Army. Hermione set her jaw, muttered an incantation, and then nodded. She muttered another, her wand flicking the other way. She nodded to herself, opened the hood, and then the door, ducking into both before pulling out with a smile. She bowed playfully, and looked up at Fred and George.

"Chauffeurs, the chariot awaits."

Ember smiled widely at her brilliant friend. She climbed into the car after Fred, sitting in the middle as George climbed into the driver's seat. She waited impatiently for Ginny, Hermione, Anna and Ron to spill into the back seat, but once they had, the car lifted on the ground easily. Ember bounced in her seat, ignoring Fred's hand as it settled on her leg.

Fields upon fields passed underneath of them as Ember settled into her seat, leaning over Fred to look out of the window. Lights from the houses winked up at them through the darkness, and George silently pulled the lever to make the car invisible to those who happened to look into the sky. She let out an impatient huff, and resisted the urge to ask 'are we there yet?' Instead, she pointed the way to George, who looked wonderful behind the wheel of even a beaten up Ford Angelia. Ember didn't understand what the hype about airplanes was; in her opinion, a flying car was the best way to travel.

Ember chewed on her lip, her mind reeling as they finally passed into the "richer" side of London. She smiled faintly as she passed over houses of her oblivious childhood friends. Then they passed over Anna's house, and Ember flicked off Anna's mother, though she couldn't see that. She placed a hand on Fred's knee, smiling softly as he stopped jiggling his leg at her touch. She turned in her seat, looking back at her four friends in the back.

"So what's our plan of action?"

"Fly up to his bedroom?"

Ember heard Ron scoff at Anna's suggestion, and she scowled.

"Why?" Ron snorted. "So you can shag? I think not."

"What do you propose we do, Ronald?" Anna hissed, slapping his arm. "Barge in through the front door and right into Lucius Malfoy?"

They all turned to look at Ember, as if silently asking why they couldn't. Ember's stomach clenched, and she didn't have the patience to explain her newfound rebellion to her friends. She settled for shaking her head in a curt no, and Anna and Ron shared a groan of frustration.

"Fine," Anna seethed. "Does anyone _else_ have a bright idea that will keep Ron from getting his knickers in a twist?"

Ember rolled her eyes, and reached a hand back to swat her two now-bickering friends.

"You guys... Draco is just like our father. As pretty as all that hair is, there's not much else going on in that head." She heard George, Fred, and Anna scoff and rolled her eyes. "Shut up, the lot of you."

Ember turned to Fred and mumbled something to him; she asked him if he had any fool-proof plans of distraction, and his eyes lit up when he nodded. George cast a curious glance their way, and Fred just winked. Ember turned in her seat again.

"Here's the plan. We land the car away from the Manor. We walk, and we create a distraction. Anna, you and Hermione go in to get Malfoy. You drag him out kicking and screaming if you have to." She nodded, satisfied with her plan. "Does that make everyone happy?"

Her friends continued to stare questioningly at her, but when they were satisfied that they weren't getting an explanation as to why Ember was unwilling to walk into her own house, they nodded silently. George did something to the gears, and they began to make their descent. Ember's head immediately felt her head swell with pressure, and was both relieved and annoyed when her ears began to pop.

"No wagging tongues, ladies and gentlemen," George advised.

"You'll be likely to bite them off," Fred added with a smirk.

Ember noticed that Ron was looking a bit green, and wondered if he was remembering his landing on top of the Whomping Willow during their second year. Ember smirked, but didn't pity him – honestly, who thought that was a good idea? The car landed on the street, jostling them all something fierce before coming to a stop. From their placement, Ember knew her house was just around the corner. Hermione and Anna hung back as the other five teens crept to the front of the Manor, and Ember shot Ron a look when he began to whine.

"Shut up, Ronald," Ginny hissed.

The red-head swatted her brother's shoulder before looking around her. Her eyes widened with amusement as they settled on an old elm tree that some Malfoy, back along the line, had planted in the front yard. She pointed her wand at it, and then smirked.

"_Reducto minor_." She hissed, smirking as the tree fell across the front yard. "Sorry Ember – I hope you weren't too attached to that tree."

Ember shrugged, and they watched as a few members of the staff ran out of the house. George and Fred pointed their wands at their throats, and then pointed out of the yard. The sound of the two laughing devilishly moved away from the house, and the staff members and other people tha Ember vaguely recognized took off after it. Ember pointed her wand at the tree, muttered the spell, and watched as it caught fire. She smirked again as her parents ran out of the house, her father's voice carrying across the yard as he shouted about blood traitors and mud bloods.

Ember felt bile rise in her throat at the sight of her bedraggled parents. She knew that Draco was in that house, and she'd be damned if she let her father corrupt her brother like his father had done to him. She glared at her mother from her hiding place, and then nodded with determination at Ginny. The two threw their voices magically, taunting Lucius Malfoy with names and curses as he chased their voices out of the yard. Once they were gone, Ember looked around her before frowning.

She hoped Hermione and Anna were okay.

(xxxxxxxxxx)

There was silence. There was darkness. There was nothing.

Then there was him.

Draco could see nothing, even if he were to open his eyes. As it were, he let the darkness surround him completely as he followed the shapes of light on the back of his eyelids. His head ached something awful, and there was a sour taste in his mouth that wouldn't go away no matter what he tried. He could hear the voices of his father's people carrying from down that hall, and he grimaced at the recognition of the Death Eaters.

His body ached, and he felt hollow. He needed something to get rid of the pain from living in his god-forsaken house filled with Death Eaters. He felt as though it was sucking the life out of him, and he vaguely wondered if it was the after effects of the _Cruciatis_ curse. Needless to say, the Dark Lord had been less than pleased when Draco had failed to kill Dumbledore; he had been punished severely, and Draco had learned humility when his father watched his punishment. _It is the way_, he had been told. _It happens to all who fail_.

His mother had watched, as well. She had looked on silently, and Draco had gone numb the moment he saw the recognition in her eyes. That was all there had been, however – no tears, or pity, just the knowledge that she had seen the punishment – perhaps worse – before. Draco had made it through the torturing knowing that his father had failed before him, and that was the only reason Draco had been set up to fail to begin with.

His fingers clenched into fists by his side as images of his childhood flashed through his mind. He had laughed so easily then, and there was nothing haunting his mother's eyes as she watched him and Ember destroy the house with the precision only a child can. His mind wrapped around his twin sister, and whatever part of his heart that could still feel emotion shattered. He had tried to protect her – he had tried to protect them _all_, and it had been for nothing.

His eyes flew open as thunder ripped through the sky. When he saw no lightning, he looked out of his window in time to see the elm tree, planted many generations ago, fall as if something had split it. His mouth fell open when the tree caught fire, and his eyes narrowed as the firelight caught the red of the Weasleys' hair. His jaw snapped his mouth shut at the recognition of his sister; she was going to get herself killed. No one seemed to notice her, however; her laughter floated away from the manor, though she sat exactly where he had first spotted her. Staff members and Death Eaters raced out of the Manor, following the culprits they believed to be running away. He almost laughed as he spotted his parents, following suit and taking off into the night.

Slowly, Draco slid off of his bed and made his way to the door. He could hear soft footfalls and hushed arguing originating from the direction of the stairwell. There were no shadows on the wall – the Manor was much too dark to cast any, but he still knew that the intruders were coming closer. Their argument stopped, and he could hear footfalls going the opposite way. His eyebrow arched in amusement, and he took a step forward, surprised when he could hear another set of feet making their way towards him. He scowled when he recognized the silhouette, which turned to look over her shoulder. He stepped in front of her, and leaned close to her ear.

"Breaking and entering now, Callahan?"

The girl turned quickly to face him, but didn't shout in surprise as he expected her to. He watched as the dark shape crossed her arms, and then heard a soft, sad sigh.

"Come back with me."

"Ever the hopeless romantic," He snorted. "And why would I want to go anywhere with _you_?"

He tried to snarl, but his voice sounded worn and weak, even to him. He wondered if she could detect it too, but she said nothing. She took a step closer to him, and there was nothing in her posture that told him she feared him. The girl had spunk, he would give her that, and it intrigued him more than it should.

"Because you love me."

Her words gripped his heart and jerked it to meet his stomach. There was nothing in him that wanted to admit her words had any validation, but he reached for her almost automatically. His fingers gripped into the flesh of her arm, and there was a soft noise of pain coming from her mouth before he stole it with his own. He turned her and stepped forward, forcing her back into a wall with a soft, painful thud. She tensed under his hand, but all the while kept her protests silent.

He kissed her harder; he needed her, needed to feel her, and needed to get rid of the apathetic pain that had been building inside of him. As his mouth claimed hers, he could feel his anger ebbing away, and searched desperately to find the pain he had felt just moments ago. All he could focus on was the way her soft lips felt under his, and the way she let him claim her however he needed to.

"You found him."

Granger's voice grated on his nerves, and he snarled as he pulled away from Callahan. The girl straightened and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, attempting normalcy. She nodded, and Draco wondered with amusement if she didn't trust her voice.

"Yes," She said finally, and then turned to Draco again. "This is the part where we kidnap you."

Draco found himself caught between being amused, and upset that she hadn't stayed away. It didn't seem to matter where he was; she would chase after him, and he hated that he liked that fact. His abnormal feelings were clashing with his selfish instincts; he wanted her to stay away, and to be safe, but now, all he needed was to stay by her and to mark her as his.

Callahan and Granger each took a wrist, and he was too preoccupied with his internal argument that he let them pull him forward. He watched with slight amusement as they snuck around corners, peeking before moving, until they finally brought him to the front door. They stepped over the threshold, and Callahan turned to face him. Her smile fell when she took in his appearance.

Draco knew he looked like hell.

(xxxxxxxxxxxx)

Ember followed George and Fred up to the burning tree, looking over her shoulder to see if she could spot any of the staff. Seeing no one but her two friends come out of the house, she smiled widely. She bumped into Fred and yelped, rubbing her nose with dramatic precision.

"What the hell, you bloody git... Whoa..." She looked Draco up and down, her heart breaking when she took in his sallow cheeks and bruised flesh. "Great. Thanks, Draco, now Anna's going to kick my ass for us not getting here sooner." She groaned, and turned to George. "Where's the car?"

He opened his mouth to speak, scowled, and then pointed his wand at his throat.

"The same place we left it."

He rolled her eyes and took her hand, kicking Ron when he coughed at Ember's free hand reaching for Fred's. Ember looked back over her shoulder, satisfied that the tree would burn well through the night.

"Come on," She called over her shoulder. "You can snog at the... Shit." She looked at Fred. "Where the hell are we going?"

She heard Draco scoff, and she resisted the urge to kick her leg back at him.

"Some rescue team."

"We can send you back if you want," She scowled.

She turned as much as she could with both hands being held in front of her. Draco's appearance hit her with a new sense of morbidity, and she felt angry tears well up in her eyes. Her expression was mirrored by her brother, and they stood there for a moment in silence. Finally, the two moved together, as they had been doing their entire life; Draco left Anna's side, and Ember stepped from between the Weasley twins. Together, they raised their arms and wrapped each other in an embrace. Draco stiffened after a few seconds, and Ember buried her face into his shoulder to hide her sob.

"Show some emotion," She hissed to him through her tears. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"I'm glad you're alright, too, Em."

Her tears started fresh when he used his childhood nickname for her. George cleared his throat, and the twins pulled apart from each other. Ember wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and Draco shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. Without another word, they took their respective places and avoided looking at each other. Ember looked to her friends, pleading for one of them to give her an answer to the question she had asked before her display of affection.

"We have two options," Hermione finally spoke up. "We could go back to Grimmauld Place, like we did in our fifth year, or we take him back with us."

Ember cast Hermione a long look. They hadn't stepped foot in Grimmauld Place since Sirius had died. She frowned, and her mind was suddenly berated with the images of Dumbledore falling... His vacant eyes when Harry slid them shut... McGonagall's face as she lifted her wand... Ember squeezed the Twins' hands tightly as she tried not to cry.

"Mum and Dad are asleep for the night," Ginny murmured, obviously sharing Ember's discomfort. "We'll take him home. We'll deal with it in the morning."

Ember nodded stiffly as they got into the car; they had barely escaped Mrs. Weasley's wrath earlier that night. She wasn't sure they would get so lucky a second time.

"Let's go," She mumbled to George. "Before I change my mind and put him back in the house."

Draco snorted as they got into the Ford Angelia, which Hermione had charmed again to add an extra row of seats. Ember had slapped Ron when he mumbled something about _aristocratic purebloods_, and that was the extent of the entertainment for the return trip home. Ember spent most of their time in the air seething about Draco's state of wellbeing. How could her mother have let this happen? Her mind was racing, and she hadn't any idea anyone could tell until Fred pleaded for her to return circulation to his hand.

George landed the car with more ease this time, and it was only another few minutes before they had the car covered and the shed shut. They crept back into the house, and Ember was pleased when her brother looked around but kept his mouth shut. She was slightly amused when she saw a look of grateful contentedness take hold of his normally pinched features. She followed her friends upstairs, and stopped short when Anna asked an obvious question.

"Where is Draco going to sleep?"

Ember almost slapped her forehead – how could she have forgotten to plan _that_? Instead, she rolled her eyes and smirked.

"I suppose I'll sacrifice my bed in favor of sleeping with my boys," She grinned, linking arms with Fred and George. Ron looked at her incredulously, and she scowled. "What? I can't very well room him with _you_, can I? I'd like to wake up to a Burrow still standing. And I can't room him with Fred and George, because the only person they will be sleeping with will be me." Ember stopped and smirked at Ron. "I can room him with Hermione and put Ginny in with you... that'd help a lot."

Ron's face turned and angry red, and he opened his mouth to shout when Hermione glared.

"Don't even think about it, Ronald - She was joking. Now go to bed."

Ember watched with amusement as Hermione pushed him towards his room. She then hugged Anna, Hermione and Ginny good night, and stopped short when she turned to her brother. Her heart ached again when she took in his weary expression. To keep herself from crying, she looked him up and down, sneering sarcastically.

"Snog in Anna's bed," She muttered. I don't want to have to explain to Mama Bear why I burnt her bed."

With that, she slipped into Fred and George's room, helped them push the two beds together, and snuggled down between her two boys, content with the closeness and comfort.


	13. Missing Inaction

**Chapter Twelve**

_(Missing Inaction)_

Ember woke up sweating, just like she did the morning after the Yule Ball. She smiled, content to roll over and go back to sleep between George and Fred, but she could smell bacon cooking down in the kitchen. The scent burned at her stomach, which growled in a very unlady-like manor, and she smiled softly at the thought of Mrs. Weasley's breakfasts. Her eyes shot open; the Weasleys were awake. _Oh shit. _She grabbed her clothes, which had been shed in favor of the cooler bra and panties she was wearing. She shook George frantically with one hand.

"Love, I've got to send Draco in here before your mum comes up!"

He mumbled something that Ember took as acknowledgement and rolled back over. Ember rushed across the hall as quietly as possible, and slipped into the room she was sharing with Anna. She saw Anna and Draco sprawled across the bed, and she almost giggled at their mussed hair and rumpled clothing. She shook Draco awake, ignoring the curious glace at her scantily clad body.

"You've got to go across the hall," She hissed, and he scoffed.

"Share a bed with the Weasley brats? I don't think so."

She slapped his shoulder and fixed him with a look. Draco's eyes narrowed as he recognized her _it's-too-early-and-I-haven't-had-my-coffee-yet _look, and he scowled.

"Those are my boy... That's my boyfriend in there," She hissed, "And if it weren't for them, you'd be waking up cold and alone in a mansion. Now go, before Mrs. Weasley catches you - she's going to raise hell enough when she sees you here!"

He rolled his eyes, but got up, tiptoeing across the hall. Ember fell back onto her bed and sighed, content to relax until Mrs. Weasley would come to get them for breakfast. Her eyes were just closing when she heard a thud coming from across the hall.

"Waz goin' on?"

Ember turned to look at Anna, who seemed to be thoroughly confused when she found herself in bed alone. Ember shook her head and shrugged.

"_Malfoy, you bloody git!_"

Ember's blood turned cold as she bolted upright and rushed across the hall, finding George and Fred with their wands pointed at Draco, whose wand was alternating between pointing at the two twins. Ember sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose before glaring at them.

"Oh bloody hell," She muttered.

Ember looked from her brother to the twins, and none of them seemed to be aware of her presence. She growled and stepped between them, facing the twins. She knocked their wands away and placed her hand on her hip. Anna rushed into the room and stopped short when she spotted the three boys glaring at each other.

"What happened?" Anna asked softly, and Ember fixed her with a _duh_ look.

"You twits!" She hissed, glaring daggers, which was hard to do in a bra and panties. "I _told_ you I had to put him in here before -"

She heard the footsteps coming up the stairs, and she quickly grabbed George's shirt from yesterday and slipped it over her head. She turned and hid behind Fred and George as Mrs. Weasley walked in, fussing over something or another. Her eyes caught a glimpse of Ember's bare leg, and her face reddened dangerously.

"Fred and George Weasley! I am appalled that you would go behind my back and..."

Fred and George rolled their eyes.

"It's not like that, mum," They argued.

Mrs. Weasley's mouth snapped shut, and the twins shared a triumphant smirk, satisfied that they had quieted their mother. Their eyes widened when they realized she was staring past Ember and her eyes were locked on the other Malfoy twin. Her face lost its red color, and Ember almost wish that it hadn't.

"_Arthur_!" She looked around at them all, and Ember swallowed audibly. "Put on the tea! It appears... we have a guest." She looked at all of them in turn and nodded stiffly, her face white. "I expect to see you all at breakfast since you're wide eyed and bushy tailed... Dressed, if you would - Draco Malfoy, _do_ put that thing away, I will not have some teenage boy brandishing his wand in my house!"

She turned on her heel and walked downstairs. Ember blinked at the boys, kissed the Twins on the cheek and then scampered across the hall to get dressed, grabbing Anna by the wrist as she passed her friend. They dressed quickly, and then waited outside of the hall as Draco changed into clean clothes Ember had stolen from George. Eventually, her stomach let out another un-ladylike growl, and Anna smiled.

"Go ahead and go downstairs," She prompted. "I'll wait for Draco."

Ember sat sitting sullenly at the table, her legs crossed tightly and her hands folded in her lap. She had dressed in tights and a cowl-neck sweater dress, and she was trying hard not to tug at the clingy material of her top. The twins were looking at her, clearly trying to hide their bemused smiles as they chewed their food.

"Trying to make up for your lack of clothing earlier?" Fred whispered in her ear.

She turned and slapped his arm, but it brought a smile to her face. She watched as Anna and Draco came down the stairs, the latter of the two looking around in confusion and mild embarrassment. She pointed at two chairs on the other side of George, and smiled softly.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," She called passed Anna, as Ginny, Ron and Hermione came down stairs.

Finally, everyone was seated, and breakfast served. They ate in an awkward silence at first, interrupted only by Fleur's incessant babbling about the wedding. Mrs. Weasley finally threw her napkin on the table and pointed her finger.

"Fleur, do shut up."

Everyone turned to look at her, but she was staring at Arthur, who nodded.

"Someone," He began, his voice almost amused. "Had better start explaining."

At first, no one said anything, and then the room was full of chattering and pointing fingers. Ron pointed to Ember, who was pointing at Anna, who was pointing at Draco, who was pointing at the twins. Hermione and Ginny were trying to decide whether or not they should let Hermione talk, but it went almost unheard as Fred let slip that they took the Ford Angelia. The teens covered their ears when a shrill whistle made them stop. Both Weasley parents shared a glance and then turned to the kids.

"One at a time, preferably."

No one seemed to want to talk when they knew the spotlight would be on them. Ember rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, and Hermione opened her mouth, but it was Anna who spoke first.

"Well, you see, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," She mumbled, playing with the hem of her shirt. "It started when Draco started acting strange, and I – well, _we _– knew he was up to something rotten. Harry had this whole conspiracy theory, Draco asked me to the Yule Ball, Ember was pissed that we were together, and I was agonizing over the whole thing, whether or not it was wrong, decided I didn't care – everyone thinks he's a prat – and he was ordered to kill Dumbledore."

Anna stopped and took a deep breath after she finished rambling. Everyone was staring at her, even those who had been there during the events she – vaguely – described. Mr. Weasley leaned forward to ask a question, and there was a very concerned look in his eye. It must have alarmed Anna, because she launched into another rant.

"He _didn't_ though. Sure, he tried, with cursing Katie Bell and poisoning Ron -" Here, the parents turned angrily towards Draco "- but he didn't mean to – he was trying to get to Dumbledore. But he couldn't – we saw it! Dumbledore knew it, too – he believed in Draco, just like I did. I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley – it was my idea to bring him here. We can go somewhere else – we don't want to be any trouble."

Ember snorted and reached past George to swat at Anna's arm. The girl looked like she was ready to cry, and Draco wasn't looking anywhere but at the silverware on the table in front of him. She sighed dramatically and looked towards Mrs. Weasley, who was staring at Anna with something akin to shock.

"Please, you humble twit," She hissed to Anna. "Mrs. Weasley, all of that's true. Everyone thinks he's a prat, because he is. But... he's nothing like our father. There's some good in there, somewhere... way, way deep down there... Anyway, it was my idea to bring him here. He slept with Anna, and I slept with Fred and George because as you saw this morning, I couldn't very well room the two and then I woke up and put Draco in with my… the boys, and that's... pretty much where you came in."

She decided to forgo the part about her being nude. She smiled softly and waited. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley left the kitchen, and they could hear loud whispering from the next room. Anna and Ember shared a worried glance, and even Draco looked a bit nervous. Finally, they both came in and Mrs. Weasley looked them all over.

"Draco, you are more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like. I'm afraid it's no Manor, but it's home." She looked around and then muttered something, which Mr. Weasley had the grace not to repeat. "For the time being, it is best that Draco room with Anna and Ember sleep with the boys - _clothed_, dear, if you would."

Ember's heart soared; she knew there was a reason she had always liked the Weasleys.

(xxxxxxx)

A week after his 'kidnapping', Draco found that just being a guest at the Burrow did not make him exempt from chores. The day was cool with the remnants of spring, and they had found an old set of clothes for Draco from Fred's trunk. After changing their clothes, the teens filed out into the garden, assigned with the task of de-gnoming the yard. Draco watched on as the Weasley boys began a contest of how hard a gnome could be thrown, and he didn't seem entirely displeased.

Anna was chasing a gnome through the garden, bending awkwardly as she chased the imp-like creature around a tree. She finally grabbed it by its feet and swung it up, watching it fly over the fence. Ember watched in amusement as Anna snuck a glance at Draco in his button up shirt. She cleared her throat and Anna jumped, turning to watch Fred as he chucked a gnome hard, and it soared out of the yard. Ron and George let out shouts of dismay, and Ember giggled as she slapped Fred's hand with hers.

"That's how you throw a bloody gnome!" Ember exclaimed, waving her hands wildly.

The gnome in her hand squealed in protest and she chucked it over the fence. She was in a good mood that afternoon. Hermione was laughing as Ron spun too hard, and fell on his bottom. Ember picked up another gnome by its foot and chucked it, accidentally hitting Draco in the back. She gasped, covering her mouth and giggling as the little creature kicked Draco in the shin. She bent over laughing, and George came over to give her high five. He hugged her tightly, kissed her cheek, and picked up another gnome. He held Ember in his other arm, picking her up and spinning her in his arms before he chucked the gnome over the fence. Ember squealed in delight until her set her on the ground.

They had successfully thrown the last of the garden gnomes over the fence when Mrs. Weasley called them into the house for lunch. They rushed in, all politeness and games aside as they tried to be the first one to wash up and sit down. Mr. Weasley looked up from his paper long enough to shake his head at the eight teens trying to burst through the door, but he spared them no smile. Once everyone was clean and seated, Mrs. Weasley walked around the table and placed hot sandwiches on the plates before them.

"Arthur, dear, you really ought to stop reading that awful paper."

Mrs. Weasley clucked her tongue as she stared pointedly at _The Daily Prophet_. Mr. Weasley shook his head and placed the paper on the table, and the teens all hurried to bend over it, snatching it from one another. Finally, Hermione grabbed it from George and glared at them all, shaking her head. She flicked the paper in her hand, and began reading the article that Mr. Weasley indicated aloud.

"Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy name, was abducted from the Malfoy Manor late last Saturday evening. Reports claim that Lucius and Ayr Malfoy heard a disturbance outside of the house, which authorities believe to have been a distraction. Upon investigating, the Malfoys were horrified to find a tree planted by an ancestor both cut down and burning. They chased after the culprits, hearing them run off of the property. Upon returning to the house, they discovered their son to be missing.

"'He's such a good boy,' Ayr Malfoy told reporters through tears. 'An O.W.L. student with wonderful study habits.'

Reporters received multiple 'no comments' from Lucius Malfoy, who was often seen standing by his wife's side, ever the mask of collectiveness. Ember Malfoy, daughter of the Malfoy name, has not been seen to question. Anyone with any information on Draco's whereabouts is asked to contact Ministry officials immediately."

Ember and Draco exchanged a chagrined glance, and they both rolled their eyes. Anna snatched the paper from Hermione and skimmed through the article again. With an irritated huff, she folded the paper and slid it back to Mr. Weasley, who was trying to hide the bemusement in his eyes. George and Fred immediately leaned towards Ember, batting their eyes as they held up invisible pads of paper and pens.

"Miss Malfoy, what do you think about the disappearance of your brother?" George asked.

"Your mother says he's a wonderful student – can you tell us the _real_ story?" Fred asked, just as determined.

"My brother is a terrible student," Ember scowled. "And he's lucky to be out of the damn Manor – _darn_ manor. Sorry, Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley waved her hand dismissively as she set the serving plate on the table, and Ember yelped as Draco kicked her under the table. She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed her finger, talking around the food in her mouth.

"Look here, you," She mumbled, swallowing the food. "You are a horrible student – you wouldn't have made it into N.E.W.T. potions if Snape hadn't been coaching you. And you _are_ lucky to be out of that place."

"I would have been just fine on my own, thank you," Draco growled, biting rather angrily into his sandwich. "I've been through worse – I'm sure I could have handled the punishment."

"You've handled worse than being _crucio_ed?" Ember scoffed and dropped her sandwich on her plate, pointing again. "Did they use the Furnunculus spell, or the Stinging Hex, like they did to father when _he _failed? Did they belt you like father used to when we failed as children?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at his sister, but said nothing else. Ember sat back, biting into her sandwich with a strong sense of satisfaction. The Weasleys, Hermione and Anna were staring at the Malfoy twins in slight concern, and Ember realized none of them probably knew about the methods that the Dark Lord used to punish those who failed them. Deciding not to elaborate on the morbid details of other methods of punishment, she bit into her sandwich again and chewed with a victorious smirk.

"And I thought we had it bad growing up with Percy," George mumbled to Fred.

* * *

Windows and doors were left open to let in the breeze as the spring days grew into summer days, and the days turned into weeks. The odd group of wizards existed mostly in peace as they scrubbed the Burrow from top to bottom in preparation for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Occasionally, Draco and Ron would get into a tiff, but the most excitement that occurred was a full-blown duel between Draco and the Weasley Twins. If Mr. Weasley hadn't stepped in to interrupt, Ember was sure that Draco would have woken from unconsciousness hanging by his knickers in the garden.

"You're smirking again."

Ember looked up from the floor she was mopping to see Anna, who was dusting a shelf of Mrs. Weasley's knickknacks. Hermione and Ginny looked from their dishwashing to see what Anna was talking about, and shook their heads.

"She's right," Ginny pointed her free hand. "It's rather creepy when you do that."

"Oh," Ember said flippantly. "Just trying to make these chores more interesting."

A crash echoed through the Burrow, and the girls turned their heads to look through the house. They couldn't see anything, and they almost chalked it up to the twins being destructive with their chores. It wasn't until Mrs. Weasley's shout reached them that they knew the cause of the commotion.

"Arthur! It's Harry – he's here!"

Ember threw the mop and tore through the house, nearly tackling Harry to the ground as she threw her arms around him. She had had enough time to notice that Harry looked almost as bad as Draco had when they first took him from the Manor. She hugged him tighter and then pulled back, glaring at him before pulling him back into her arms.

"Where have you been? Why haven't you written? Were you trying to give us a heart attack? Harry Potter, I've got half a mind to kill you and oh God, thank God you're okay!"

She was babbling, hugging him tightly until George pulled her off him, smiling.

"Give him some breathing room, Ember," He rolled his eyes, pulling Harry into a hug of his own.

Ember stepped back as Hermione, Anna, and finally Ginny hugged him hello. She looked over her shoulder and noticed Draco hanging back a bit, and she couldn't really blame him. As strange as the summer had been, Draco had been taken into their group, for better or worse. She cleared her throat and linked arms with Fred and George, pulling the boys to the side, giving everyone else a bit more room. Harry laughed softly as he pulled away from Ginny, and stiffened as he saw Draco in the background.

"What's Malfoy doing here?"

His eyes attempted anger, but his voice revealed that he didn't have enough anger left for Malfoy. Ember wondered vaguely if witnessing Snape murder Dumbledore rather than Draco doing it had anything to do with Harry's lack of malice.

"We… er…" Anna looked at her feet and smirked. "We sort of kidnapped him."

Harry's mouth twitched in a weary smile, and he opened his mouth as if to ask for details. He didn't get the chance to; Fleur came floating into the room, and Ginny's face immediately fell. The blonde wrapped Harry in her lithe arms and placed a noisy kiss on his cheek.

"Hey flower child," Ember muttered, mostly to herself. "You're soon to be husband's over _there_. French floozy." She turned to George and Fred and narrowed her eyes at them both. "If you ever marry a French pastry, I'll relieve you of your manhoods."

Rather than arguing with Fleur, Ember grabbed Harry's wrist, pulling him upstairs and motioning everyone else to follow. She pulled him into the room she was sharing with Fred of George, pushing him onto the bed. George had charmed the two twin mattresses to form one queen size bed, which took up most of the room. She climbed to her spot in the middle, waiting as George took his on the right and Fred on the left. She waited for everyone else to file in and flicked the door closed with her wand. They all looked at Harry, who was staring around at them. Ember got comfy, taking both of her boys' hands and resting them in her lap.

"It seems," Hermione spoke for them, "We have summer stories to exchange."

"I wish I could say that my summer's been as entertaining as yours apparently has been," Harry sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. "I searched everywhere for Snape, and the horcruxes – I couldn't find either one. I realized I needed help."

"We could have told you that," Ginny snorted, but leaned her head on his shoulder; Harry smiled and then looked around at them.

"So, I figured you were all here, and came to find you."

He was looking at them with raised brows, and there was an expectant look in his eye. Ember had the odd urge to giggle as his gaze drifted to and settled on Draco, who was staring with determination at the wall across the room from him. Harry then looked at Anna, who blushed furiously.

"What?" She demanded.

"I read the papers," Harry smirked and then fixed his curious gaze on Ember. "Cutting down and burning an ancestor's tree?"

"You know you wish you had been there," Ember responded flippantly, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "You seem to miss all of the _fun_."

There was an awkward silence as the friends thought that Harry's summer had been less than desirable in comparison to theirs. Hermione finally sighed and asked what they were going to do, and Harry smiled sadly at her.

"We enjoy Bill and Fleur's wedding, and then we leave without anyone knowing. We'll hunt for the horcruxes together."

Ember frowned softly and leaned against George's shoulder, holding Fred's hand and stroking the back of it with her thumb.

"Do we have any idea where to start?" She asked softly. "Or are we just going to search blindly?" She slapped George's hand away when he began to play with her hair, grumbling softly. "George Weasley, that is a bedtime thing only - you'll put me to sleep."

Fred looked at George and winked.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Ember blushed and moved onto a new subject quickly.

"When does Fleur's sister come in? She is maid of honor."

She picked at the hem of her shirt, thinking about the wedding tomorrow. Only the best for Fleur. They were all in the wedding - Hermione paired with Ron, Anna with Fred, and Ember with George, Ginny and Fleur's sister sharing the role of Maid of Honor, both walking out with Charlie, Bill's best man. She smiled softly, closing her eyes and imagining the wedding before remembering her question.

"Oh! Right! Ideas. Go."

"I say we start with Godric's Hollow."

Hermione shot Harry a dissatisfied look, and Draco scoffed from where he leaned against the wall.

"Brilliant, Potter," He sneered. "That's the first place the Dark Lord will look for you."

Tension immediately filled the air as the two boys glared at each other. Harry opened his mouth to start shouting, but Hermione placed a soothing hand on his arm. Ginny leaned back to fix Harry with a pleading look, and the boy scowled more fiercely.

"He has a point, Harry," Hermione hissed quickly, as if not believing she was saying it. "The Dark Lord must know you want to visit your parents – we'll be walking right into a trap."

"It's as good a place to start as any," Harry seethed. "And it may be the last chance I have to see my parents – this is war, Hermione."

"We know that," Ginny answered him softly. "But by going there now, we're walking right into Voldemort's trap – it's too risky."

Harry wasn't budging. Ember and Anna listened silently as Ginny, Hermione and Harry bickered on about the other possibilities. Ron, meanwhile, was bent over _The Daily Prophet_, and his face pulled into a scowl. He held up the article, and Ember could clearly see "**DUMBLEDORE'S LIFE A LIE?**"

"Did you read _this_?" Ron asked Harry, who snatched the paper from Ron.

Ember in turn snatched it from Harry, and leaned over it, ignoring George and Fred as they read over her shoulder. She scowled and shoved it towards Anna and Draco. She crossed her arms, and seethed. How dare he. How _dare_ he?

"How dare him?" She hissed, brooding over Voldemort's power over the press. "Who the bloody hell does he think he is, the git?"

She crossed her arms and huffed, leaning into Fred and propping her feet up on George, kicking him when he tried rubbing her leg to calm her.

"Voldemort?" Draco snorted, as if the answer was obvious; Ember jerked her head towards him and mimicked his sneer.

"No shit?" She scoffed. "You've gained a lot of ground here, Draco - don't make me take it away by pushing you out that window."

Anna started and put her hand protectively on Draco's arm. She looked from one Malfoy twin to the other, and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," She suggested desperately. "We've got a lot of cleaning to do tomorrow."

Sensing the discomfort in the room, the others readily agreed and bid each other good night. George and Fred promptly stood and took off everything but their boxers, and locked the door behind their friends. Ember smiled softly and did the same, leaving on only her bra and panties as she fell onto the bed. As her boys climbed in on either side of her, she realized how grateful she was for the fan that blew directly towards the bed.

Snuggled in bed with her boys, Ember let her mind wander. Life had taken a surprising - but not unexpected - turn. The war was right around the corner - they all knew it. They could feel it in the air, like the electricity that came before a storm. She sighed and rolled over, kissing both of the twins good night. She curled into George's side and twisted her feet with Fred's. Her mind raced and she frowned - would they be able to face each other after they had killed? Would they be able to face _themselves_? Fitfully, Ember fell asleep.

_She dreamt of the first day in their unofficial ménage a trois. She had heard them whispering; Who would be offended, who wouldn't, why, how far. The words whipped around her in the wind that wasn't there. They both had looked at her, blushing. She kissed them both, each in turn, laughing when her boys wrapped their arms around her. Her first time with either of them had been interesting. George was a feral lover; dominant to Ember's submissive, powerful to her subservience. Fred was gentler, sweeter, but no less passionate. She hadn't been with them at the same time - that pressed their limits of comfort. But they went on happily; eventually everyone had stopped looking at them curiously when they all held hands, hugged, or snuggled. She thought of all of this as she relived her first kiss, the logic of knowing it all only sensible in her dream. She pulled away from George, and turned to Fred, but he wasn't there. Her heart hurt terribly, and she choked on her own pain._

She woke with a start, her face wet and raw. She had bee crying in her sleep, and her boys were staring at her curiously. She pulled them to her, sandwiching herself between them and rejoicing in knowing they were both okay. She fell back to sleep easily, fortunately not dreaming again.


	14. We All Fall Down

**Chapter Thirteen**_  
(We All Fall Down)_

Even though a week had passed since her disturbing dream about Fred, Ember was having trouble letting him – and George – out of her sight. She jumped at shadows, didn't sleep for the sake of watching over the twins, and couldn't shake the feeling of pure despair that clung to her soul. She had almost fallen asleep during breakfast that morning – twice. Ember yawned and looked at Anna, who looked as if she hadn't been having much more luck sleeping than Ember had.

"You look about as bad as I feel," She mumbled, hugging her friend as Fleur rushed up.

"Oh, no! Zeez will not do! Y'or eyes - zey are so _dark_!"

Ember rolled her eyes and pulled Anna to Ginny's room, which was serving as the girls' dressing room. They chatted, excitement creeping up on Ember as a grooming witch pulled on and played with her hair. As it grew closer to the time to put on her bridesmaid dress, she felt her stomach tickle with butterflies as she thought of dancing with her boys at the wedding. It would be wonderful! All thoughts of her dream were gone as she slipped into her dress.

"Oh, hell no."

Ember looked up from her dress to see Anna holding hers in front of her. She held it away from her, between two fingers on each hand, as if it was going to bite her. Anna's nose was wrinkled in distaste, and Ember rolled her eyes playfully at her friend. Anna gave up complaining about the dress – which _was_ atrociously pink and fluffy - in lieu of grumbling about having her hair "yanked out of her scalp". All the while, Fleur was fretting over their appearances, and the bags under their eyes that had yet to disappear under the layers of makeup.

"God forbid us _normal_ humans don't look as wonderful as her," Anna grumbled as she slid into her dress.

The door to Ginny's room flew open, and the girls froze in expectance of one of the forbidden boys. They let out a collective sigh of relief as Mrs. Weasley, clad in her mother-of-the-groom garb, stuck her head into the room. She smiled brightly at all of the girls, and then cast a quick glance over her shoulder.

"Hurry up, girls," She hissed excitedly. "The ceremony is just about to begin."

Ember swatted Anna's arm and grabbed her bouquet off of the table as they left to room. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face as they walked down the stairs and out into the yard of the Burrow, done up beautifully for the wedding. She didn't care if she _did_ look like cotton candy. She smiled at George as she linked arms with him, waiting for the wedding march to begin. Once it did, a distant cousin of Fleur's walked down the aisle, sprinkling flowers on the aisle. Hermione and Ron followed her out, Fred and Anna a few seconds behind them. She remembered to keep her eyes forward and not on George as they walked forward, splitting at the altar. Ginny, Charlie, and Fleur's sister walked down and parted, and finally, everyone stood as Fleur walked down the aisle.

The priest began his ramble about how love was the thing that brought them all there on that afternoon. Ember shifted from foot to foot as verse after bible verse was recited, followed by the appreciative murmurs of the guests. She let her eyes wander, and smiled softly at the sight of her boys in their dress robes. She noticed Fred grimace and turn to look over his shoulder, and she had to hide her giggle when she noticed Draco staring daggers at Fred.

Ember nudged Anna and jerked her head towards her twin brother. Anna frowned for a moment, and then realization dawned on her with a smile. Ember had to roll her eyes at the satisfied gleam that glittered in Anna's expression. She made a mental note to warn Anna about downplaying the relationship before it made her projectile vomit. Ember and Anna shared a knowing girlfriend smile, and she paused as chills wracked her spine. She felt a sudden _someone-walking-over-my-grave-feeling_, much like she had when she had left Hogwarts for (though she hadn't known at the time) the last time.

Finally, Bill leaned down and kissed Fleur. Everyone clapped and cheered as they moved back up the aisle, showered with bird seed and grains of dry rice. Once the happy couple had made their way back towards the house, the bridesmaids and groomsmen paired up to follow suit. George looked down at Ember with a worried frown, and Ember had to wonder just what her face looked like. She smiled at him reassuringly, and kissed him quickly once they crossed the threshold of the Burrow.

The girls dashed into the house to change into their reception dresses - still disgustingly pink, but much sleeker and easier to dance in. Giggling, the four girls raced back outside to watch as Fleur and Bill had their first dance as husband and wife. The bridesmaids and groomsmen paired up again, joining the dance. Ember giggled as Charlie danced with both Ginny and Fleur's sister, each of the girls' arms wrapped around one of his sides.

Ember smiled with the thought that would be her in a few minutes. Finally the song ended, and she smiled widely when Fred joined her and George. She caught Draco walk to Anna from the corner of her eye, his tension clearly stating that he was trying not to run.

"I think Draco was jealous of you escorting our Anna Banana," She murmured to her boys, receiving wide, knowing grins in return.

They wrapped their arms around each other, laughing as they formed a circle and somehow coordinated their dancing. After a few moments, Ember moved in the middle of them, facing George with Fred mirroring her behind her. They moved as two people then, and dancing was much easier - they earned strange looks from a few people who didn't know about their strange closeness, but they ignored it, dancing happily.

Ember looked past George's shoulder to see Harry, who they had cleverly disguised with a Polyjuice Potion. He double-took as he passed Xenophilius Lovegood, and Ember watched as Harry pointed to a strange charm around the man's neck. After a moment, she saw Harry sigh with exasperation, and move on to another person. His eyes lit up almost immediately, and she heard him whisper a name as he pointed to Mr. Lovegood's charm.

"Grindelwald?"

The name stirred something in Ember's stomach; it was like a dream of a dream, the way it evaded her. She vaguely remembered her father discussing the man with Fenrir Greyback and Bellatrix Lestrange one night. Grindelwald was a dark wizard, and was apparently Voldemort's sole source of inspiration. She vaguely wondered why Xenophilius, one of the good guys, was wearing the symbol of a dark wizard, but screams from the other side of the yard cut off her thought train.

Ember jumped out of the way just as an unfamiliar Patronus charged through the dancers. Subconsciously, she and Anna moved towards each other, and Ember jumped before she realized she was holding her friend's hand.

"The Ministry of Magic has fallen!" The Patronus warned them in a falsely calm voice. "The Minister is dead, and the Death Eaters are on the move!"

Ember's mind blanched as more screams followed the disappearing Patronus. She caught Hermione waving them over, and she allowed George to pull her forward. Her mind raced, but her feet didn't seem to want to move. She was attempting to wrap her mind around the news, but the horrible reality of the situation wouldn't strike home with her. She couldn't contemplate that the Ministry had fallen so fast; that meant that their last moments of peace were gone, and Ember simply couldn't accept it. She slipped into comforting numbness, and nodded dumbly as Hermione instructed them to apparate to Tottenham Court Road. The friends immediately scrambled through the screaming, trying to find a private place to apparate from. Ember vaguely noticed Draco pulling Anna along.

"And you were sorted into Gryffindor?" He asked with a sarcastic snort.

Ember couldn't help it - she turned and slapped Draco's shoulder, packing a bit more punch into than she should.

"Shut up, Draco," She hissed.

They ran along, trying to catch a glimpse of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. She couldn't see them, or Fleur, Bill, or Charlie. She hissed out a breath as they apparated. She felt like she was going to vomit as the pavement rushed up to greet her feet. She stumbled, smiling gratefully as Fred and George caught her. They ran to the coffee shop, looking over their shoulders every few feet. Ember's stomach was knotted with fear and anxiety. This wasn't supposed to have happened. Not this early. Not today.

The street was crowded, but no one paid them any mind as the friends raced to the café that Hermione pointed out. Along the way, they passed shop after shop with televisions playing the muggle news; they heard about the deaths in Canterbury, and how the casualties were rising quickly. They heard about how the killers were moving onto London, and it wouldn't be long before there were deaths occurring everywhere. Ember swallowed the bile in her throat, and forced her feet to move forward.

They found a table nestled in the back corner of the café and settled around it. George and Fred flanked her on either side, and Ember was grateful for their warmth – she only wished it soothed the cold that was suffocating her soul. They listened intently as Harry laid out their next moves; Grimmauld Place seemed to be the only option at this point, and Harry was determined that a horcrux was hidden in the Most Ancient House of Black.

As they ran along the street to the place they had arrived, Ember was successful in ignoring the televisions' flashing screens of death and destruction. She couldn't ignore, however, the way the street had emptied drastically in the ten minutes they had spent in the café. The few people still on the streets were rushing to the first door they found unlocked; children spun in circles, crying, until a worried mother would sweep them into their arms and rush them into the safety of shelter.

Another split second of breaking the time and space continuum left Ember feeling dizzy and nauseas. She looked up at the house in front of them, and her breath hitched in her throat. The street around them was disturbingly quiet, and she gladly followed Harry as he bravely marched towards the house. Within a matter of seconds, the peace Ember had been trying to build in her stomach shattered when the door of Grimmauld Place groaned as Harry pushed it open.

Ember felt odd in the house - they hadn't been there in over two years now. It was dark, and abandoned, where it had once been welcoming and safe. She leaned into George, suppressing a shiver as she looked around. She heard Harry rummaging around upstairs, and her skin felt too tight; her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. She was antsy - they needed to move, and now. She paced, her feet kicking up dust from the carpet as she moved. Hermione was muttering something under her breath, but she didn't pay enough attention to catch what was being said.

"Kretcher!"

Harry's voice echoed in the empty house making her jump. She heard a muffled conversation, and they all moved closer to see Harry. He was standing at the head of the stairs, towering over an ornery looking house elf.

"If you get me Mundungus, I'll give you this."

Ember squinted, and then recognized the locket that Harry and Dumbledore had found at the end of last year, the night that Dumbledore was... Her skin began to crawl, and she had to blink back unshed tears.

"Kretcher," She called out. "Please!"

She ignored his muttered insult at her "blood made filthy by treachery" and glanced at Harry, who was dangling the fake locket in front of Kretcher's watchful eyes. Finally, the elf reached out for the locket. Harry pulled it back.

"Not until you tell me where he is."

Kretcher eyes the locket lustfully, and he reached a hand out for it again. His fingers were able to brush it, but Harry moved it away before Kretcher could wrap his hand around it. The house elf let out a howl of frustration and then turned his bulbous eyes, which were narrowed dangerously, to Harry.

"Master Regulus gave me the real locket, but _Mundungus_," the house elf spat the word as if it tasted bad. "He took it from me."

Harry tossed the locket, and the house elf scrambled to catch it before it touched the ground. Kretcher eyed Harry warily, and Harry was staring down at him in determination.

"Bring me Mundungus."

The house elf nodded slowly, and disappeared with a pop.

(xxxxxxxxx)

The house was dreary with the gray light of dawn trying to press through the drapes on the windows. Ember was grateful for the natural cavern-like temperature in the house; in any other case, the teens would have been miserable without being able to open the windows to the breeze. Someone stepped into her peripheral vision, and she dragged her eyes from her sleeping boys to look at her brother.

"Is Anna still sleeping?"

"They're _all_ still sleeping."

Draco made a sound that sounded like his snort, only with half of the energy. He himself looked as if he could do with a few more hours – or nights – of sleep, but he didn't resemble the Draco she had kidnapped from her own house in the beginning of the summer. Her mood increased only slightly at this realization, and she smiled thinly.

"Let them sleep," She sighed, nodding to a place on the couch beside her.

Neither of them had them had to point out Ember's silent _while they still can_. Draco sat next to his sister on the couch, and Ember almost rolled her eyes at the stiff posture he held himself in. Instead, she made a show of stretching and slumping down, leaning heavily on the back of the couch. This pulled a wan smile from Draco, but it didn't begin to reach his eyes. Ember sighed, and turned to stare at the curtains again.

"What do you think is going on out there?"

Draco's cynical chuckle rumbled through the couch, and the sound was almost comforting to Ember. She turned to Draco with sad eyes, and was almost amused when she realized that, had this been only a few months ago, she'd have blamed this havoc on him. She silently admitted that half of her still wanted to, but only for the sole purpose of making sense out of the chaos. Instead, she met her twin brother's eyes, and let her brow furrow.

"Snape had to do it." At Draco's raised brow, she continued. "That night, in the Astronomy Tower – Snape had to kill Dumbledore… because you couldn't."

"He didn't have a choice," Draco replied dully. "He made an Unbreakable Vow with mum – that if I should fail to carry out the deed the Dark Lord gave me, he would step in to make sure the job got done."

At the mention of her mother, Ember's heart sank deeper into her chest. Her thoughts must have been showing on her face; Draco frowned and took his sister's hand – a sign of affection Ember thought he had outgrown over fourth year. His thumb drew comforting circles over the back of her hand, and he let out a soft sigh.

"She hasn't changed sides, Ember." He smiled sarcastically and winked. "She's changed tactics."

"I haven't slept in two days," Ember growled softly. "Speak plainly."

Draco leaned back into the couch and threw his arm over the back of it, rubbing Ember's shoulder comfortingly. He stared forwards, and so many minutes passed before he spoke again that Ember thought he was studying the peeling wallpaper. When he began to speak, his voice broke the suffocating silence and made Ember jump.

"She has evil inside of her," He began slowly, reminding Ember of her mother's lineage. "But that doesn't mean that she _is_ evil. I suppose with father in Azkaban and I in this unwinnable game, she had to be the face of the family – and the face of our family supports the Dark Lord."

"You're saying that mother is acting like father?"

"No," Draco answered quickly. "I'm saying that mother is acting a part. She cannot be the face of a family who supports the Dark Lord so greatly is people realize how much she detests him – questions would be asked that no one would have the answers to. I suppose she thinks it's easier – and safer – to go along with the rest of the crowd, and join the winning team while she can – for our sakes."

Ember's jaw clenched, and she had half a mind to yell at Draco – evil never won; she had read too many muggle novels to believe that. Denying her naivety, she turned to her brother, her mouth already opened to begin shouting. She never got the chance to yell, however; the Weasley boys at her feet began stirring, and she heard footfalls as Anna, Hermione, Harry and Ginny came into the room.

"Good morning," Anna smiled softly.

"It's a morning, in any case," George mumbled sleepily.

Ember started when a knock sounded on the door. She immediately panicked; muggles couldn't see the hidden house, and the only wizards that knew of it were left behind when the friends left the Burrow the previous afternoon. She tried to control her shaking; her wobbling knees made it hard to walk towards the door. She pressed her ear to the wood, and took a deep breath.

"Are you friend, or are you foe?"

"I am Remus Lupin."

Ember tossed a look over her shoulder to Harry, whose brows were furrowed. He opened his mouth, presumably to ask for proof, but the man on the other side of the door beat him to it.

"I was your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in your third year, and I'm married to Nymphadora Tonks." There was a pause and an inhale, and then the man continued. "I am a werewolf."

Ember knew in her heart of hearts that this was truly Remus Lupin. Before Harry could nod his approval, she yanked the door open and revealed the man. He seemed unharmed, but definitely appeared a little worse for the wear. Ember threw herself and Remus and sobbed. When she finally pulled back, she could hardly breathe.

"You're okay," She sobbed, hiccupping. "What about everyone else? Where are they?"

George came up behind her and pulled her into his chest, where she continued snot crying. He handed her to Fred, who took her back into the kitchen to calm her down with some tea. George looked up at Remus and frowned softly.

"Where are Mum and dad?" He looked past him and frowned deeper when he saw no one immediately behind him. "Professor Lupin... What's going on out there?"

Remus looked past George, and smiled fondly in the direction of the kitchen. Ginny ran ahead of them, making sure to put on a pot for tea. Ember looked up to see the others filing into the kitchen, and she was reminded of her first time at Sirius' house. The image brought new tears to her eyes, and she buried her face into Fred's shoulder before she could let out a pathetic wail. By the time that the chairs had been adjusted and the tea was served, Ember had been calmed enough to join the discussion. George and Fred flanked her, each rubbing comforting circles on her back.

"I cannot discern where your parents are," Lupin began, looking at each of the Weasleys in turn. "We all apparated nearly as fast as you kids did. I believe your parents abandoned the Burrow, but… I can't be sure. It's chaos out there – the death count has only increased." He paused and looked at them all. "What are you planning to do?"

There was a suffocating silence that Ember tried to break by slurping her tea. The sound fell away, and the pressure in her head made her feel as though she was going deaf. She could feel the pressure of the twins' finger pads pressing into her back, and she choked back a sob. The Weasleys had to be okay – they just _had_ to be.

"Find the horcruxes," Anna said softly. "They're our only hope now."

"We could start with Malfoy Manor," Draco suggested, looking pointedly at Ember. "I know the Dark Lord entrusted our father and Bellatrix Lestrange with some of his valuables. I've seen them put some of the things in their vault at Gringrotts."

They all nodded slowly, silently agreeing that it was as good a place to start as any. Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. When he looked up, he met Harry's eyes, and there was pain in his eyes that Ember didn't remember ever seeing before.

"Let me come with you," He asked softly. "Let me help you."

"No." Harry shook his head. "You need to stay with Tonks. She needs you more than we do."

"No!" Remus stood and his chair fell back against the floor, making Ember jump. "I'm coming with you – don't you see? I'm no good to Tonks – I've cursed her, and I've cursed out child!"

The group fell silent, and stared at their former professor with wide eyes. Ember's heart leaped into her throat, and there were tears forming in her eyes again. Tonks was pregnant; the news should have sent the girls into a tizzy about what color clothes to buy, and how to decorate the nursery. Instead, Ember could only hope that the child wouldn't come into the world as it was now. She frowned, and she looked over at Harry.

"James would want me to go with you."

Ember's eyes flicked over to Remus, who had his hands on the table and his head bowed. His shoulders were shaking, and Ember couldn't tell if the man was controlling himself or breaking down. Harry's face turned a dangerous shade of purple, and his lips grew white as he pursed them. He finally stared at the older man, slamming his fist down onto the table.

"My father would not want you to abandon your wife and child! Don't use my father as your excuse to be a coward!"

Time seemed to stop as Remus met Harry's eyes. Ember's breath caught in her throat, and she had the sudden urge to grip her nails into George's arm when Remus straightened. He closed the gap between himself and Harry, and Ember watched as the latter boy pulled himself as upright as he could manage. There was silence, and then hell broke loose when Remus pulled his fist back, landing it squarely on Harry's jaw.

Shrieks of surprise and outrage echoed off of the kitchen walls, and Anna, Hermione and Ginny immediately ran to Harry's aid. Ember bolted off of her chair and raced after Remus, calling his name and pleading with him not to leave – not on that note. Before she could reach him, however, he jerked open the door, glowered at her, and disappeared.

Remus Lupin stormed out of the house, taking with him Ember's last sense of normalcy in the world.


	15. Don't Try This At Home

**Chapter Fourteen**

_(Don't Try This At Home)_

Things had just begun to settle down as morning slipped away into the afternoon. Hermione had effectively relocated Harry's jaw, and tea had been reheated and served to everyone. Ember had just gotten her hands to stop shaking enough for her to lift her cup to her mouth. A loud cracking noise echoed through the house, and Ember let her mug fall to the ground with a squeak of surprise. George looked as if he would laugh, but he was more concerned with the noise coming from the living room.

The teens stood almost as one person, and moved around the table in the kitchen. Ember felt a bit better as she noticed that all nine of them had their wands drawn and ready. As they neared the corner that would lead into the living room, they paused, and the five boys exchanged a determined look. They moved as a unit and rounded the corner quickly, pausing with surprise before waving the girls forward.

Harry was standing over Kretcher, who was looking smugly between Harry and Mundungus. The latter of the two was sitting on the floor, looking ragged and disheveled, as Ember had so often seen him. She could smell the liquor on him, and her nose wrinkled in distaste. Mundungus finally stopped grumbling long enough to realize where he was, and then who was standing over him.

"Harry, m'boy!"

Harry made an indecipherable sound and pocketed his wand. Wasting no time at all, Harry crouched down beside the man, pressing his face further into the alcohol-laden air.

"Where is Regulus Black's locket?"

Mundungus' eyes glassed over and he began rambling on about the Blacks and their snotty ways, and the pointlessness of blood status. Harry asked him again, and he was beginning to turn the same dangerous shade of red he had earlier with Remus. Ember subconsciously moved towards George and Fred, and frowned.

"The locket?" Mundungus laughed and hiccupped. "I don't have that locket no more."

"Wonderful," Fred quipped in a forcefully cheery voice.

"Mundungus Fletcher sold the Blacks' locket for alcohol," George mumbled, forgoing the cheery disposition.

"Sold it?" Mundungus laughed again. "I wish I had th' chance. That toad woman took it from me."

Ember and Anna looked at each other with furrowed brows. They had only referenced one woman as a toad, and that was –

"Umbridge?"

Harry's eyebrows disappeared towards his hairline, and they all watched as Mundungus nodded, seeing how many different ways he could pronounce Umbridge's name. Ember frowned deeply; if Umbridge had the locket, there was no way that they would get it. The woman may not have been on Voldemort's side, but she was definitely not on theirs – especially after the stunt Harry and Hermione pulled fifth year with Grawp. The woman wasn't any more likely to give them the locket than Voldemort was to admit defeat to a mudblood. Unless…

Ember looked over at Draco, and saw from the corner of her eye that more than one of her friends was doing the same thing. Draco had been a favorite of Umbridge's – if not _the_ favorite. Umrbidge would surely make an exception for the heir to the Malfoy name, wouldn't she?

"It looks as if your tattling came in handy, after all," Ron snorted, and Draco rolled his eyes.

"He can't."

Ember's voice surprised her, especially when her words conflicted with the thoughts that had just been running through her mind. As she heard the words, however, she knew it was true. What if their father found him? Lucius Malfoy was very bad at two things – failing, and having one pulled over on him by his children. Figuring that his anger towards Draco was a mix of the two, Ember was sure that sending Draco after Umbridge was the wrong thing to do.

"We'll have to go in and get it ourselves."

Ember realized that their only hope was sneaking into the Ministry of Magic to find Umbridge. She frowned and chewed on the inside of her lip. Getting into the Ministry of Magic wouldn't necessarily be the problem, but it would be difficult. They had to find a way to make sure that Lucius didn't find Draco, and that no one in the Ministry wanted to turn Draco in. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the only answer was Draco not being seen until absolutely necessary. And that meant only one thing.

"Harry," Ember mumbled, deep in thought. "You and Draco have to go in before us. And you need the invisibility cloak."

"What about the rest of us?" Ginny asked.

"We can't let Harry and Malfoy have all of the fun," Fred agreed.

"The rest of us," Hermione began, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Need to sneak in covertly. We need a Polyjuice Potion – it's out best chance. Then we can apparate outside of the Ministry, get hairs from some of the workers, and take the potions into the public toilets."

* * *

Ember's stomach churned at the idea of taking a Polyjuice Potion, and churned again at the idea of taking it in a public toilet. However, she nodded along with the rest of the group, and Hermione smiled brilliantly as she set out, determined to search the house for as many of the ingredients as she needed. And so the teens waited… and waited… and waited, until Ember thought she was going to burst out of her skin.

The days were full of bickering, and the nights were full of moans that stemmed from disturbing dreams. Ember found that she didn't sleep as often as she should; the 'couldn't' she had tried to claim turned into a 'didn't want to' as more and more disturbing feelings crept into her dreams. During the course of three days, Ember had woken up crying, screaming, and threatening the twins with her wand before she realized who it was huddling over her. She had held them both tightly, afraid that if she stopped touching them, they may have somehow evaporated into the night.

Ember didn't mind the dreams where she saw herself dying in battle beside her friends. The dreams about her watching Hogwarts crumble with the sound of maniacal anger echoing through her mind angered her more than scared her. The dreams that Ember _did_ mind… now, those she could live without ever dreaming again. Her own screams and blood were nothing compared to those of her friends, of her brother, and of her mother. When Ember had those dreams, the first thing she did upon waking was run to the bathroom and vomit.

She spent her time answering obscure questions from Hermione – "If you were Mrs. Black, where would you hide your Powdered Black-Bill Horn?" was by far Ember's favorite. When the others had to sleep, she would split her time between continuing where Hermione left off on the Polyjuice Potion and peeking out carefully through the blinds. Even those tasks, though, couldn't keep Ember's mind off of her family. Her mother and father's whereabouts didn't worry her as much as her "extended" family's whereabouts – she often worried after Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and more often than not wondered where Remus had gone the morning he punched Harry. Worrying after him brought the memory to her mind, and she was reminded of the chaos that was waiting for them outside of their small sanctuary.

Finally, the time arrived when Hermione had completed the potion. Ember didn't think to ask where she had gotten the ingredients, and was chagrined to find that she really didn't much care. She stood in the circle of her friends, eyeing Harry's invisibility cloak suspiciously. Her stomach had begun to turn sour at the thought of sending the two boys in ahead of them; there were so many deaths in London, and she couldn't be sure that they weren't the next ones to be cut off. Suppressing a shiver, she squared her shoulders and looked at Harry.

"Everyone knows the plan?"

They all nodded, and George and Fred even humored them by doing a little jig for good luck. Another round of apparating left Ember feeling breathless and disoriented. She quickly righted herself when she saw Draco and Harry disappear. The rest of them turned to scope out their victims, and Ember thought it was all too easy as they watched three men and four women disappear into the public toilets outside of the Ministry's workers' entrance. Ember exchanged a weary glance with Hermione, but the latter girl reluctantly handed out the vials of the potion. The boys waved cheerily to them, and the group parted ways with promises to meet outside of the toilets once their transformation was complete.

The girls slipped into the bathroom as silently as possible, starting as they realized the women were washing their hands at the sinks. Each of the girls stood behind a woman, and proceeded to knock them unconscious, cut a few strands of hair, move them into a stall, and lock the door – in that order. The girls exchanged glances, and then added the hairs to their vials. Ginny held her vial up in a mock toast, and the other girls followed suit before touching the vial to their mouths.

Ember swallowed the potion, making a face at the bitter, putrid taste of it. She forced herself to keep it down, and was just about to give up when she felt the sensation that belonged only to that of your body reforming itself. She shook her head and pulled a face before checking herself in the mirror. She had slightly graying hair, but other than that, everything seemed to be in order. She turned and waited for Ginny, Hermione, and Anna, nodding.

"That stuff is still disgusting."

The other girls nodded, and Ember judged by their green faces that they were afraid to open their mouths incase the potion decided to come back up. She watched – and felt – the rest of the transformations take effect. They picked up the clothes and name badges they had relieved the unconscious women of, and changed into them quickly. Shivering violently with the sensation of wearing someone else's, Ember nodded once and led the way to the door. The air was heavy with despair, but it was still fresh enough to clear Ember's head. The girls only had to wait a minute before the door to the mens' toilet opened, and three strangers walked towards them. Ember recognized them as the Weasley boys and scowled.

"I'm not kissing any of you," She hissed to them. "With my luck, I'd kiss Ron."

"Harry and Draco should have had enough time to get into the Ministry," Hermione – disguised as a Mildred Freeburg – effectively cut off Ron's protests. "If we all split up, we should find Umbridge in no time at all."

"So we just… march in there and pretend we know where we're going?" Anna, alias Claire Farren, asked. "Sure – we can do this. We can absolutely do this!...Where do we start looking for Umbridge?"

"That's the thing," Ember groaned. "We have no idea _where_ we're going. The last time we were here, Harry led the way." She closed her eyes and tried to remember anything about the Ministry of Magic. "We should start with anywhere they'd be having supper - it's tea time."

"Then we'll look for Umbridge's office," Ginny decided, leading the way into the Ministry.

Ember was in awe when she first stepped into the Ministry. Despite it having fallen so shortly ago, workers bustled past them, in a hurry to get nothing done. They held their spines straight and marched forward, and Ember was relieved to see that no one paid them much mind. Ginny led them to where she knew the Ministry Officials' offices were, but from there, they tried and errored until they stumbled into a disgustingly pink room with meowing cat plates on the wall.

"This has got to be it," Fred grumbled.

The group filed into the office, and Ember almost giggled at them as they crowded each other, even in the decently sized room. Without saying a word, the group broke into chaos, trying to search through everything as quickly and efficiently as possible. Ember was pawing through drawer after drawer, and heard someone behind her shriek. She turned towards Ginny and bumped into her back, growling until she saw what she was staring at.

"You don't think…"

Ron sounded sick as he joined them. Staring at them from the wall was Mad Eye Moody's false eye, displayed proudly as if it were a trophy. Ember swallowed the bile rising in her throat, and she turned into George's shoulder before she threw up. Fred chose that moment to hold a file over his head, and Ember frowned at the scowl pinching his strange face.

"She's got an entire file on dad."

"And apparently one on Dumbledore, as well."

The group turned to look at Hermione, who was holding up a copy of Rita Skeeter's _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_. Rather than reading it now, Hermione slipped it into her shoulder bag and looked around the room. The older woman's features slid into a scowl and she ran a hand through her hair.

"It isn't here," She growled.

"Umbridge!" At Anna's exclamation, they jumped until she pointed to a memo in the trashcan. "She's scheduled for a court meeting in the Wizengamot… now. Bloody hell – where's _that_?"

Ember groaned and looked around the office for some sort of map. The only thing she found was another memo, fluttering pathetically in the trashcan.

"It's on the third floor, in Room 304," Ember sighed - it was a start. "Is that enough information to apparate with?"

She looked and found Hermione, and then paused and looked around again. She frowned and looked around a third time - they all had press passes.

"Bloody hell," She cried out. "Did anyone know we were impersonating Daily Prophet Voldemort lackeys?"

She rubbed her temples and felt someone's hand on her back, rubbing slow circles. The name tag said David, but she knew it was Fred. Hermione nodded finally, and instructed everyone to apparate to just outside of the courtroom. Ember almost did vomit this time - Polyjuice Potion and apparating did not mix well.

"On the bright side," Ginny mused sarcastically. "We should have no problem getting in."

It was called "The Muggle-Born Registration Commission," and apparently Umbridge was second in command to it. Harry and Draco were already snooping about the Courtroom, having seen the locket hanging from Umbridge's neck. The group heard her claiming it was a Slewyn Family Heirloom. Draco snorted under the cloak, but said nothing, as Harry wondered how to get it off her. Umbridge may have been foiled in their fifth year, but she wasn't a stupid witch - though they hadn't seen how good she was at dueling.

"I think the best way," Harry started, surprised he hadn't gotten into one squabble with Malfoy, "Is to stun the Ministry Workers, take the locket, and free the Muggle-Born prisoners."

"Didn't know you had any smarts, Potter." Draco said, sarcastically.

"Wands at the ready," Harry whispered, and Ember started when she felt him brush past her.

They had walked in calmly, as if they were supposed to be there, but they stopped short when they heard the shout of "Stupify Major". They ducked quickly, dodged the 'bullet' of magic, standing back up and staring stupidly at the boys, who turned on them with their wands ready.

"Easy there, Lone Rangers," She heard George - or Fred - call.

The boys lowered their wands and Harry wasted no time snatching the locket from Umbridge's neck. He turned to the prisoners and told them to hide – and stay hidden – from Voldemort. He turned away from their thanks and their cheers, grimacing as he faced his friends.

"Let's go," He called, leading them out of the Court room.

They needed to move fast; the Polyjuice Potion was wearing off, and already Harry's lightning scar was beginning to show. Anna tapped her shoot impatiently in an elevator; it stopped on the second floor to let some Wizard's in, and then closed back up. One of the men, a tall man, with graying hair, looked over at Anna - or 'Claire.' He flashed a set of pearly white teeth.

"Claire, darling!" Ember rolled her eyes at Anna and shrugged. "You know," he continued huskily, "We should really set our differences aside."

He was getting closer to her. The other Wizard, whom Ember figured was his 'buddy,' looked amused.

"Differences?" Anna choked.

The man was right in her face now; he had her against the wall. Draco and Harry were back under the cloak, and Draco was looking murderous. Draco raised his wand, but Harry smacked his hand.

"Want to get us caught?" He whispered harshly.

Draco snarled under his breath, angry at the idea of any man's hands on his woman. The elevator dinged, just as the 50-some year old man, went to unwittingly kiss a sixteen-turning-seventeen year old girl. Anna darted away from him, under his arm, and walked brusquely forward, hoping her friends were following.

"Claire!"

The rest of the man's frustrated curses were cut off as the teens left the Ministry building. Once outside, they retreated to the place they had apparated to, and – after making sure no one was watching – left with a pop. Ember shook off the dizziness, realizing that the more she apparated, the less disturbing is was. She took in the familiar sight of Grimmauld Place, and breathed an easy sigh of relief.

"I can't believe we just did that."

Hermione's comment seemed so characteristic that it made the group laugh. They made their way towards the stairs, content to crawl to the second floor and lounge around as they decided what to do with the locket. Something cast a shadow on the wall, and Ember knew immediately that Kretcher was not the only thing besides them in this house. She sucked in a breath, gripping her wand tightly.

Her breath escaped by way of a shriek when she saw the dark robes of the figure as it approached the head of the stairs. The gleaming skull mask smiled mockingly at them, and Ember gripped her wand so tightly that she was afraid she was going to break it.

"Death Eater," Fred and George hissed, moving towards him.

Hermione grabbed their shoulders and knocked them into each other.

"We've got to get out of here!" She exclaimed, dragging the twins off of the stairs.

Ember cursed under her breath - what a time for her to turn back into herself. As they ran, she saw the hair in front of her eyes turn back to her normal black, and her hands lost their wrinkles, the skin pure and young again. They stopped in the kitchen, realizing they couldn't keep running in the house.

"Somewhere," She choked, trying to catch her breath. "Anywhere."

She pointed her wand at the approaching figure, trying to collect her thoughts.

"Forbidden Forest," Hermione hissed. "The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm. It'll buy us some time."

With the tell-tale pop sounding in her ears, Ember left Grimmauld Place for the last time.


	16. Ring Around

**Chapter Fifteen**

_(Ring Around)_

The first thing Ember heard upon apparating into the Forbidden Forest was the howl of absolute anguish. Looking around for the source of the noise, she spotted Ron; during his apparating, he had gotten himself splinched. Hermione ran around in a panic, muttering incantation after incantation. Ember watched as a crude tent assembled itself out of sticks and leaves, and she looked at Hermione incredulously as she directed Fred and George to help Ron into the tent.

"Don't look at me that way," Hermione hissed after finishing a protection charm. "Are you going to stand there like a nutter, or get into the shelter?"

Ember felt a chill pass through her body, and didn't need to be told twice. She followed George and Fred into the tent, and almost immediately felt like hugging Hermione as she looked around her. For something made crudely out of twigs and leaves, the interior of the tent reminded her strongly of the tent the group shared at the Quidditch World Cup finals. She heard Anna and Ginny mumbling appreciatively as they followed her.

"You're brilliant, 'Mione."

Harry's words didn't carry the smile he was flashing, but Hermione accepted the compliment in any case. She directed the twins to set Ron on the cushions to their left, and followed them quickly. The rest of them set off through the tent to claim bedrooms; it appeared that Hermione knew her friends better than prudish Mr. Weasley. Rather than a girls' room and a boys' room, there were four bedrooms surrounding a small living area. Ember was satisfied with the room she claimed for her and her boys – it was, after all, the only room with a bed big enough for three people. Ron was following them lazily with his eyes.

"That leaves you and me," He slurred to Hermione.

"Of course it does," She hissed at him, and then flushed. "So I can keep an eye on you, of course."

"Of course," Fred and George mumbled to each other, and Ember swatted them.

It didn't take long for the teens to get settled in relative comfort and sanctuary. While Hermione doctored Ron, the others huddled around the locket with their chins in their hands. Every so often, someone would whisper an idea of how to destroy it, but the others were quick to shut it down. Ember's mind rolled over idea after idea, but always found something wrong with it – someone would die, or get hurt, or get captured, and the downsides continued.

It seemed the longer the teens sat around the locket, the more disheartened they got. Ember was content to pretend that it was exhaustion and frustration mixing, but deep in her soul, she knew that there was something off about the situation. She realized that her eyes were beginning to slide from face to face, and she was almost suspiciously aware of how everyone stared with intent at the locket. She wanted to reach out and grab it, but she wanted nothing to do with it at the same time.

"We should think about it more in the morning."

Ember's head snapped up as she watched Hermione leave the bedroom she was sharing with Ron. Hermione walked towards them and bent over to look at the locket, and Ember was sure she almost growled. Her eyes moved to the locket again, and she suddenly thought of her mother, and knew her brother was full of manure; their mother had turned against the right way, and was lost to the darkness.

"It's time to go to sleep."

This time, Hermione's voice was sharp and demanding, and Ember suddenly felt a weight lift from her lungs as George pulled her towards their bedroom. She fought the urge to look over her shoulder at the locket, and she knew that Harry would be taking it into his room with him. The thought bothered her, but only because she thought it should. She scowled at herself, bid her friends good night, and allowed George to pull her out of the living room.

She went through the motions for the sake of her boys. She stripped her clothes off and left them by the foot of the bed, and climbed in between them. She felt them close any gap between them and her, and she immediately relaxed into their heat. It wasn't long before the events of the day caught up with the twins, and they were snoring softly in Ember's ears. She smiled softly, and closed her eyes. She embraced the impenetrable darkness, but knew better than to believe she'd sleep easily, if at all.

She had lost track of time, but something made her open her eyes. Someone was moving around outside of the bedrooms, and her heart jumped to her throat before she thought logically. The protection charms around the tent would make them aware if someone had stepped within a twenty-foot radius. Curious now, Ember slid slowly out of bed, pulled Fred's shirt over her head, and padded her way out into the living room.

"What are you doing?"

Draco looked up from the floor and stopped his pacing. He frowned softly and then scowled, looking Ember up and down before inclining his head to the cushions by his feet. Ember made her way over to them and was able to situate herself on one without flashing her brother.

"When did you stop believing in clothes?"

The sarcastic amusement in her brother's voice surprised Ember. She had no answer to his question, so she scowled.

"I asked you first."

"I'm not waking Anna up," He shrugged and looked pointedly to the bedroom. "I'm not exactly in the mind frame to sleep."

"I think it's the Malfoy curse," Ember mumbled softly, picking at the hem of Fred's shirt. "I haven't been sleeping lately, either."

Draco's words of response trailed off as his head dropped. Stifling a giggle, Ember nestled her head into her brother's side and closed her eyes. The familiar feeling of her twin by her side put Ember at more peace than she had felt since Dumbledore's death. The combination of the day's events and her brother's warmth acted as a wonderful narcotic, and she let herself slip into a state of semi-consciousness.

She woke up in a cold sweat when a door off of the living area opened. She jumped as Harry darted out of his room, the sudden movement making her grab her wand from where she had tucked it into her sock.

"It's just me," He hissed to her, holding up his hands as a show of friendship.

"Jesus, Harry, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

She put her wand back where she got it, moving slowly so as not to wake her sleeping twin. She moved to sit next to Harry, lowering her voice and looking around.

"What's wrong?" She asked, and then rephrased her question. "What do you know?"

Harry sighed, running his hand through his sweaty, black hair.

"Voldemort is looking for something. I just don't know what. It has to be important." Harry said. "I saw him kill a guy over it."

Ember frowned and watched her friend's face go through a mix of emotions. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the sky turning a steel gray from the gap in the opening of their tent. They others hadn't been sleeping long at all - five or six hour, maybe. She regretted having to wake their friends up, but they couldn't risk staying in one place more than they had to. She started with George and Fred, mumbling sweet promises to them until they woke up. Hermione and Ron had already woken up, being the closest to the Twins and overhearing Ember trying to stir them. Hermione tackled waking Ginny while Ember woke Anna and Draco.

"We've got to go, guys," She mumbled as everyone mulled around sleepily. "Harry's seen something, and it's important."

She turned to Harry as if giving him the 'go ahead', and was dismayed to find that for once, their fearless leader looked terrified and lost.

* * *

Through the next few weeks, or maybe a month - Ember couldn't tell - they moved from place to place, trying figure out how to destroy the Horcrux, and just as importantly what Voldemort wanted. The poisonous influence of the locket was setting everyone on edge. The friends were squabbling constantly, and if they weren't, it was because they were ignoring each other. Harry and Ron, who had always been best friends, were at each other's throats all the time. Now, as the 'friends' sat at their camp for the night, a tense silence was floating over their heads. Finally, Anna sighed and looked around at the group.

"This is ridiculous. You all realize this is what Voldemort wants right?"

No one said anything; Harry and Ron were sitting as far from each other as possible. Anna threw herself back down, near Draco – who, for once, wasn't the cause of any of the fighting. Hermione finally sat up, grabbing her small pink bag that held small things to large things, even things ten times bigger than the purse itself.

"What if we used Gryffindor's Sword to destroy the Locket?"

Everyone looked up from the ground, and the angry lines around their eyes disappeared when they registered what Hermione was talking about.

"'Mione, that's bloody brilliant," said Ron, still scowling at Harry.

Harry shrugged. "We don't even know if it will work," he said.

Hermione smiled weakly.

'I think I know someone who _might_." She said, a twinkle in her eye. Out of her bag, she pulled out the portrait of Phineas Nigellus.

"You have a _portrait _in your _purse_?" George asked, surprised, as the Phineas inside the portrait griped about being stuck in a purse for months.

Ember stiffened as she heard voices that didn't belong to her friends. She held up her finger for everyone to be quiet, and placed it to her lips.

"...students are revolting," They heard, listening carefully. "A band of merry men decided to try and steal Godric Gryffindor's sword from the headmaster's office. It seems like a very Weasley Twin thing to put together - but they've all disappeared off the face of the planet. Good riddance."

Ember smirked - maybe someone else had found a good use for the sword. Ron, however, stood seething and debated socking the fugitives.

"You gits," He hissed to his friend. "People are being punished for trying to help us!"

Over the course of the month, the friends had realized that their bickering and bad moods had started when they found the locket. In order to dispel some of the wickedness of the horcrux, the friends had decided to take turns wearing the locket. Ron snarled, gripped the locket around his neck, and yanked it off.

"I quit," He spat. "Finish this yourselves."

He threw the locket on the ground, and it seemed to stare innocently at them from where it sat at Harry's feet. With a final snarl of anger, Ron turned on his heel and took off into the woods. Ember stared stupidly, in shock, and tried calling out to him, but all that came out was a choked sob. She jumped when George and Fred touched her shoulders comfortingly, and shrugged them off bitterly.

"The doe will lead the way."

The voice that Ember forgot was there startled her. She whirled and stared at the portrait.

"Come again?"

"The doe," The man smiled mysteriously. "Will lead the way to the weapon which you seek."

Ginny snorted and looked around pointedly.

"We're in the middle of nowhere - there aren't any does, if you haven't noticed."

Ember rounded her gaze to look at Draco, who had started at the mention of a doe. He caught her gaze but said nothing, and she scowled. The portrait said no more, and Anna looked disappointed. Harry stood up and looked around, running a hand through his hair.

"Maybe the swords at Godric's Hollow," he said, suddenly, as Hermione stuffed the portrait back in her purse, much to Phineas' displeasure.

"Harry's right," Hermione said, surprising them all. She had been so against going to the hollow before, and now suddenly she was for it. Harry looked ecstatic."

"But it said something about a doe-" Anna was cut off by Harry;.

"As Ginny stated, there aren't any does. I say we go to Godric's Hollow."

Hermione nodded, along with Fred and George. Draco looked at Harry and rolled his eyes in a haughty manor.

"If we go, we'll need to keep a low profile. I suggest a disguise."

Ember stifled a cynical smirked at her brother's obvious discomfort. He was going to the place that basically represent Gryffindor, and he was a Slytherin. Ember could tell Draco was fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Ember did giggle at the surrealistic situation, and her friends looked at her as if she had four heads. She brushed off their scowls with a grin, excited to have a plan of action again.

In just less than a week, they prepared, and disguised themselves in cloaks; they haddecided to go at night, when it was less likely for people to see them. They apparated into Godric's Hollow, and the minute Ember felt the ground rushing to her feet, her stomach bottomed out as she saw the cheery Christmas lights among the houses. She looked around at her tense friends, and saw that Anna looked positively green. Suddenly, she felt like maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

Ember shivered as she looked around at the Christmas lights. They almost seemed eerie, in the face of the circumstances in the world. She nodded to herself proudly, however - the fact that people _could_ be cheery reassured her faith in people. She looked around again and frowned - she had no idea where to begin looking, and she told her friends that. Her mind wandered to Ron, wondering how he would find them if he looked. _He's not coming back_, she reminded herself, sidling closer to her boys.

"We should find his grave," She suggested. "Maybe they have a monument with the sword placed there."

They all walked over to the grave stones; the first one the saw was Godric Gryffindor, but the sword wasn't there. Ember felt deflated, but somehow knew it wouldn't be that easy. Nothing was ever that easy. Harry looked over, and saw the grave stones of Lily and James Potter. Ember watched with wide, sad eyes as the boy moved towards the stones. He knelt, and lowered his head. Ember watched as a flood of emotions crossed his face; anger, despair, and finally determination. Ginny stirred next to her and Ember heard her friend's sharp intake of breath.

"Isn't that Bathilda Bagshot?"

The red head pointed, and the group followed her indication until they were staring at an old woman, who did resemble the witch Ginny referenced. Curious, they all jogged up to greet her. Her eyes were vacant, and Ember suppressed chills.

"Ma'am?"

The woman didn't answer Harry, only motioned for them to follow - so they did. The whole time, Harry tried to carry on a conversation with Ms Bagshot; she did not respond. Anna looked at Draco, worrying at her lip.

"There's something wrong with her," She said.

Draco gritted his teeth, discreetly drawing his wand. Once inside, Harry followed Bathilda upstairs, saying he'd talk to her alone. They all stood in Bathalida's living room awkwardly.

"We should have gone with him," Fred said, worryingly.

His worry only increased when they heard a ruckus upstairs. Fred and George raced up, there, Hermione and Ginny ahead of them, Ember, Draco, and Anna following. Out of Bathlida's corpse came a long snake, a python as thick as a man's thigh.

"HARRY!"

Anna screamed as Harry dropped his wand, being overtaken by the snake, only for Hermione to snap Harry's wand, in the struggle. The snake lunged at them all bearing it's teeth.

"_Nagini!_" Draco hissed, "This was a trap, a set-up! He knew you would come!" Draco threw curses at the snake.

"We need to get out of here," Anna screamed, throwing her own curses at the snake, wand drawn. Harry was helpless without his.

"Accio Wand!"

Ember held out her hand and tossed Harry the wand once it flew into her hand. Harry looked down at it, frowning at its splintered surface.

"We can fix it as we go," Hermione called out, panicked. "But for now, we _have to go!_"

They didn't wait to be told a second time - the group of friends raced down the stairs, Ember scolding herself. _Of course Voldemort knew he would come - he always knows. There isn't a move we can't make that he hasn't already taken into account_. Now out of the house, Ember scolded herself for her pessimism. It was now more than ever that they needed to be positive. She looked around, wondering where the safest place to go was - did Voldemort have spies in Godric's Hollow, or was it just the snake. She let out a small shout of frustration, feeling completely useless.

"What now?" She called out, her wand out and ready as Hermione muttered something, fixing Harry's wand in a matter of seconds.

Her friends looked at her, and the despair in their eyes left Ember devoid of all hope.


	17. Desperado

**Chapter Sixteen**

_(Desperado)_

Something happened to the group when they apparated to the Forest of Dean; it seemed that something inside of them broke, and nothing in the world could fix it again. Hermione's eyes leaked silent tears as she placed the charms around their campsite for the night. Harry watched her work with sad eyes, and Ember could see in his own that he didn't know what to do next. Ginny and Anna helped pitch the tent, but then they, too, became withdrawn and weepy.

"I'll take first watch."

Ember almost didn't recognize her own voice at first. Her friends turned to look at her, but there were no arguments. She noticed Ginny fiddle with the locket around her neck, but there was no emotion except despair in her eyes. She took Harry's arm and led him into the tent, and the rest of the group followed. Hermione paused at Ember's shoulder and gave a soft smile.

"If you need me," She mumbled, rummaging around in her handbag. "I'll be right inside – I've got some reading to do."

Ember returned Hermione's smile, and conjured up herself a small fire. When she was satisfied with it, she dusted the snow away from a small spot on the ground, and sat with her back against a tree. The night seemed to swallow her whole; even though the tent was only ten feet away from her, she felt alone and secluded from everyone and everything. The eerie feeling didn't shake easily, and she sighed with resignation as she closed her eyes.

Images flickered on the back of her eyelids like a film; she saw Dumbledore falling, his eyes open and vacant. She watched Snape turn from the murder and leave the school, dragging her brother along with her. The wedding, the smiles, the joy… it all faded to darkness wrapped in chaos. The locket, Ron leaving, Nagini waiting in Bathilda's house – the horrid images played over and over in her mind until Ember felt suffocated.

A twig snapped in front of her, and her eyes opened so quickly she forgot she had closed them. Her hand was already gripping her wand, pointing it, before she recognized the boy standing in front of her. She replaced her wand into her sock and scowled, pulling her knees tighter to her chest.

"Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?"

Fred smiled in the goofy way that only Fred could manage under the circumstances, but Ember realized that the grin didn't reach his eyes. He dusted off a spot next to her and sat stiffly, looking around for a minute before finally putting his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh, and he rested his cheek against her head.

"Where's George?"

"Asleep, I'm sure," Fred answered softly. "He was snoring before he hit the pillow."

Ember was surprised to feel her mouth attempting a smile, but it felt so out of place that she didn't allow herself to follow through with it. She took Fred's hand and began tracing the veins under his skin, a mindless habit she had picked up over the summer. The familiar gesture brought her some sense of normalcy, but she still wasn't able to shake the eerie feelings of seclusion.

"We're all alone, aren't we?"

Fred pulled his head away from her, and looked down at her with sad eyes. Rather than answer her – Ember suspected she wouldn't like the answer, anyway – he placed his hand on the back of her head and kissed her. At first, it was soft and gentle, like a gift of comfort. He grew rougher, however, and Ember almost tasted… sadness on his mouth. He kissed her like it was the last time he would ever kiss her, and the thought made Ember throw her arms around his neck and cling to him tightly.

"Let me in, Ember," He growled against her mouth. "Let me love you tonight."

His words slipped through her skin and into her heart, and Ember was glad to find that there was still some small flame that could burn for Fred. She ignored the snow on the ground and the chill in the air, and let Fred lead her out of the glow coming from her small fire. They made sure to stay close, however, due to both the necessary heat and Ember's insistence at taking the first watch.

Fred pulled his coat off of his body and laid it on a freshly dusted patch of land. Ember let him lower her on top of it, and immediately reached out to pull him closer. His mouth captured hers, and he kissed her so hard that her lips bruised against her teeth. His cold hands touched her stomach and drew a gasp from her mouth, but he swallowed the sound with a kiss that left her head spinning.

His hands moved lower, the backs of his fingers making slow circles until he pinched the button of her jeans open. He slid the clothing down her legs, and she gasped again when her skin touched the cold ground, grateful that his coat acted as some sort of barrier. His mouth never left hers as he moved his hand to his own pants.

There was nothing, and then there was him – filling her, claiming her. She arched into him, her fingers pressing into his back as she moaned. Their breaths left them in white clouds of steam, and the way they mingled in the air was almost as intimate as the way the two mingled on the ground. He moved slowly, his hips moving an inch at a time. Her fingers scrabbled at his back, and she had the sudden knowledge that is she stopped touching him now, he would disappear from her forever. They both had holes in their hearts, and it seemed this was the only way to heal them.

A twig snapped to their right, and their mouths parted when they turned their heads. George was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, and Ember moved immediately to make herself presentable. Fred fixed her with a look that was partially pain and partially exasperation and she paused in her movements, settling for searching George's face. There were no dark traces of jealousy or betrayal; Ember whimpered when she saw that there was only longing in his eyes. She looked between her two boys; they shared one long, knowing look, and then they both nodded once.

Her breath left her lungs when George slipped out of his coat and laid it beside Fred's. Ember flushed to her toes when George removed his pants and sat on his coat, pulling Ember onto his body. There was no waiting with George; his hands gripped her hips, and he filled her as suddenly as Fred had. She buried her mouth in his neck to keep her cry muffled, and she felt Fred's fingers pull her hair away from her mouth. His lips parted when they touched the skin on her neck, and his hot tongue pulled another gasp from her when it touched her chilled flesh.

She pulled her mind out of the fog long enough to register how the cold air was suddenly biting harder against her back. She realized Fred had moved, and tensed when she felt his slippery fingers slide into the cleft of her ass. The warmth was at her back again, and Fred and George both murmured in her ear. She cried out as Fred took her anal virginity, and she didn't bother hiding her mouth in George's shoulder this time. George growled when her nails dug into his sides, and it was a moment before any of them could relax.

She adjusted to the feeling of both of them inside of her, and she let out a shaking breath as she touched her forehead to George's chest. His lips brushed against her hair, and he and Fred moved together. There was no awkward tension, and their different styles didn't clash. Instead, they complimented each other wonderfully; Ember could feel the warmth tugging at her stomach. Rather than shout a name with her orgasm, she settled for simply crying out. When she did, the boys shouted with her, and the three lay in each others' company until they could feel their legs again.

(xxxxxxxxx)

"I think you ought to read this, Harry."

The gray light of early dawn followed Hermione into the tent as she walked in. She held up _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_ pointedly before setting it on the table in front of Harry. The boy looked down at it with a snarl, and Ember raised her eyebrows in question at Hermione. They all knew Dumbledore was a touchy subject, especially for Harry. Ember bit her lip and slid her hand into her boys'.

"It says in here that… well," Hermione lifted her chin and looked at Harry squarely. "It suggests that he was close with Gellert Gindelwald – that they were friends, even."

Harry scowled and knocked the book away. Ember looked down at it quizzically and jumped when Harry snarled.

"You believe this rubbish?"

"I don't think that's what she's saying, Harry," Anna said, her hand white as she clasped Draco's. "It's just that… we don't know much about his past, do we?"

Harry stood, the bench seat of the table groaning as it slid along the ground. He held out his hand, and Ginny reluctantly placed the locket into it. He slipped the chain over his head, tucked the locket into his shirt, and stormed out of the tent. They heard him call back that he was going to keep watch, and that was all. Ember let out a sigh in a great rush of air and shook her head.

"That went well," She mumbled.

Her mind reeled; she vaguely recalled Bill's wedding, where a man and woman openly discussed Rita Skeeter's book. She had heard something about Godric's Hollow, Dumbledore, and how his family had moved there after his father had murdered three muggles. She hadn't believed it then, but now, her stomach churned with doubt. The truth was that they _didn't_ know much about Dumbledore's past – was it possible that he was once exactly like the man they were trying to defeat now?

They heard a splash, and they all jumped. Ember peeked outside of the tent and yelped, seeing that Harry was no longer at the post. She could hear soft cracking noises, and her mind flashed instantly to the small pond not too far away from their campsite. She felt the blood drain from her face, and she jerked her head back over her shoulder.

"The git's trying to kill himself!" She cried out.

She left the tent, her friends following close behind as she raced over to the pond's edge. She saw him swimming, and the glint of the sword caught her eye, relief washing over her instantly.

"He's found it! He's found the sword!"

She smiled as her friends raced up, and then frowned when she noticed he wasn't coming back up - in fact, he wasn't even moving.

"Oh my god," Hermione cried out. "He's drowning!"

The last of her cry was drowned out by another splash. It was a few seconds before the water cleared enough to see, and when she could, she shouted in joy.

"It's Ron - and he's got Harry!"

Ember clapped and kissed her friends - even Draco - in excitement as Ron surfaced with a sputtering Harry. He threw the sword - and the locket - on the ground. Fred and George pulled them out of the water, Hermione and Ginny grabbing their disguise cloaks and piling them around the boys. With their friends help, Harry and Ron made their way to the tent, instantly collapsing once the warmth touched their skin. The teens were fawning over them, worrying and congratulating until Hermione cleared her throat. Ron smiled up at her with chattering teeth.

"Hey," He croaked.

Hermione snorted and turned on her heel, walking a few paces away from them. She came back, demanding that Harry give her wand back to her. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed a bit, but Hermione didn't seem pleased. She marched over to Ron and looked down at him, glaring daggers.

"You disappear for _weeks_, just _happen_ to stumble upon us, and all you can say is _hey_?" She raised her hand and touched it to her head in exasperation.

"How _did_ you find us?" Harry asked him.

Ron immediately launched into his tale. He had wanted to come back the moment he left, but he didn't know how to find them. He held up his deluminator, given to him in Dumbeldore's will, and told them that _it_ had led him to them. He heard a voice – Hermione's voice – whispering his name. When he clicked it open, a ball of light had gone through his skin and into his heart. He apparated, knowing that it would lead him to where they were. So he had waited on the hillside, hoping that one of them would show themselves. Then he saw Harry jump into the lake after following a glowing white doe, and had jumped in after him.

The others cheered and congratulated him again, and followed Ron and Harry back out of the tent. Harry set the locket on a log and handed the sword to Ron. After speaking to the locket in parseltongue, it popped open. Ember was immediately washed through with guilt and pain – if she had told Draco she was there, Dumbledore would have never died. Her mother would never had given into the evil inside of her if she didn't have Ember and Draco to protect. The thoughts continued to spiral into more depressing matters, but it was all shut off once Ron swung the sword down onto the locket, destroying the horcrux.

Fred and George lifted Ron onto their shoulders and led the way into the tent. They set Ron down and kneeled, bowing at the waist over and over. Ginny wrapped her arms around her brother and kissed him squarely on the cheek. Anna and Ember were dancing around him, stepping in every few steps to hug him tightly. Even Draco was smirking rather smugly; for the first time in months, Ember felt that there was still hope in the world.

"Don't think that this changes anything."

The group stopped their celebrating, and stepped back to let Hermione through. She looked pointedly at Ron, and then stepped up to Harry. She flipped through the book in her hands and then pointed to the strange symbol on the page.

"I think we should go see Xenophilius Lovegood," She mumbled. "We have no idea where the next horcrux is, but this symbol… it's something important."

With all of the friends in agreement, they packed up their camp and set out in search of Luna's father. Several dead ends eventually led to them standing in front of the home of the Quibbler's editor. They shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, and Harry finally marched up the stairs and knocked on the door. A moment later, Xenophilius opened the door and looked down at them.

"What is it?" He demanded. "Who are you?"

"Mr. Lovegood," Harry continued. "I'm Harry Potter - I... I go to school with your daughter, Luna. We... We need your help."

They stared at him, and Ember imagined that they looked pretty intimidating. Nine renegade wizards showing up to anyone's door would have been something, but Ember knew from Luna that Mr. Lovegood was exceptionally... odd. They shuffled as he looked them over and then finally pushed the door open, letting them in. He led them back to a small parlor, where they all crowded in and attempted to get comfy.

"What's this about, then?" Mr. Lovegood asked, and Hermione showed him the symbol.

"You were wearing this at Bill Weasley's wedding," She mumbled, and Ember realized they still hadn't heard anything about the Weasleys. "We need to know what it means."

Mr. Lovegood's eyes took over a hazy glaze, and he smiled knowingly at Hermione. He slowly began to tell them the story of the three Deathly Hallows. According to the tale, there were three brothers who met with and tricked Death. Death, in return, granted them each something for their triumph. The first wished for a wand more powerful than any other before it. The second, who wanted to humiliate Death even more, wished for the power to call loved ones back from the grave. Death reluctantly pulled a stone from the river and granted him this power. The third, a humble man, wanted only to be able to leave the place without being followed by Death. To this brother, Death gave his own cloak of invisibility.

The first brother went home to kill a man he had once squabbled with. He bragged about it until someone snuck in, stole the wand, and slit the man's throat while he slept. The second brother called back his childhood lover. She soon grew cold and distant, for she didn't belong in the mortal world. The second brother hung himself so that he could join his love. Death searched for many years for the third brother, but could never find him – that is, until one day, the third brother, now old, took off the cloak and placed it on his son's shoulders. He greeted Death like an old friend, and the two left as equals.

"So you see," Mr. Lovegood smiled, grabbing a piece of paper. "It's the Elder Wand, the resurrection stone, and the cloak of invisibility."

He drew a line, a circle around the bottom of the line, and a triangle around the both of them, respectively. He showed the symbol to the friends, and then his smile wavered. The teens shifted and then attempted to bid him goodbye. His eyes went wide and feral, and he shouted that they weren't allowed to leave. He rushed to stand in front of the door, and he turned to face them sadly.

"They took her," He whispered. "They took… my Luna. They weren't happy with the things I was writing, so… they took her from me. You're my only hope, Harry."

The man stepped foreward and brushed Harry's hair to the side, revealing his scar. Harry didn't back down, but gently removed Mr. Lovegood's hand from his head.

"They took... They took Luna."

It wasn't a question, but a reiteration. Ember realized with a start that her voice sounded tired, worn out. Her eyes rolled over to Draco, who looked nervous and pale. She knew he hadn't done it - he had been with them for almost half the year now. She also knew he had had no contact with anyone besides them. Her heart shattered a bit - it was the first person they knew directly that had been taken. Her fingers clenched, and Harry must have been thinking along the same lines.

"We'll find a way to get your daughter back, Mr. Lovegood," He promised solemnly. "But we can't do that if you turn us in."

There was a moment of silence, and then Draco spoke up.

"The Dark Lord is a liar. He won't give you Luna if you give him Harry. He'll take them and kill them both."

Ember stared - it was the first time Draco had spoken out against Voldemort. Mr. Lovegood stared as well, but his lips formed the word reluctantly – Voldemort. Almost as soon as the word was spoken, dark streaks shot through the sky outside of the house. Dished began breaking, and papers began flying. The girls shrieked as the teens dove for the ground. Mr. Lovegood rushed out of the house, waving his hands.

"I've got them! I've got Harry Potter!"

The teens crawled towards each other, and somehow managed to meet in the middle of the living room. They clapped their hands on top of one another's, and George had just put his hand on top of Ember's when the familiar feeling of disapparating sucked her stomach down to her feet. She landed in an empty field and the breath was forced out of her lungs. When she could breathe again, she stood slowly, and sought out George and Fred's hands immediately.

Without saying much, the teens began to set up their camp. Once inside, Harry began pacing with the Snitch in his hand. Ember watched as he paused, and then touched his mouth to the golden sphere. He pulled it away, and his eyes were wide. He smiled, and held the Snitch out for his friends to see.

"_I open at the close_," Hermione read, and then scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry shrugged and began pacing again. Draco and Anna went outside to start the first watch, and the others settled down to try to sleep. Ember hadn't even gotten comfortable when Draco and Anna burst into the tent, red faced and shallow breathed. They began talking at once, and the friends caught _snatchers_ and _coming_. They rushed around and packed the tent quickly, and took off just as the lights from the snatchers' wands breached what should have been the perimeter of their charms.

"The charms!" Ginny shouted as they ran from the site. "Where are the charms?"

They ran and Ember realized that they had never put the charms up. As soon as the realization came into her mind, a curse whizzed past her ear. She yelped and shot back a spell of her own. She shouted when chains reached out and wrapped around Ron's ankles, but George yanked her forward. They ran through the woods, and Draco was the next to fall, his face white. Fred fell and cried out in anger when George and Ember stopped.

"Keep going, idiots!"

So they kept running. Something harsh wrapped around Ember's ankles and she fell, George right beside her. Hermione stopped and pointed her wand at Harry, who immediately fell. When he came up, his face was swollen and disfigured, and the snatchers were upon them.

"Who are you?"

The leader looked at Harry, who was being held by another of the snatchers.

"Dudley," He muttered. "Dudley Vernon."

The leader snarled and walked over to Hermione, who was scowling. He leaned close to her, and she, too, gave a false name. Unsatisfied, the man walked back over to Harry and paused. He lifted his hair, and peered closely at his forehead. With wide eyes, he backed away and looked at the other snatchers.

"Change of plans," He called out. "We aren't taking this lot to the Ministry."

Ember's heart almost filled with relief, but if this journey had taught her anything, it was that good news was always followed by worse news. She dug her toes into the soles of her shoes and locked eyes with George, who was mumbling curses at his captor. The leader of the snatchers opened his mouth, and Ember's heart turned to stone at his words.

"We take this lot to Malfoy Manor."


	18. Greed

**Chapter Seventeen**

_(Greed)_

Ember's hands found George and Fred's, and she couldn't speak past the lump in her throat. Not now - they were so close to finding all of the pieces. Her eyes shot over to Draco, her look clearly pleading with him to do something - these were his people, his domain. They may both be Malfoys, but Ember couldn't pretend that he wasn't the more influential of the two. She never thought him being an insufferable pureblood could come in handy, but now she was putting all she had into that look. _For Anna_, she mouthed before the group of snatchers led them through the halls of the manor, presumably to where Lucius Malfoy was. She kept the tears from her eyes - if being a Malfoy had taught her anything, it was to show no weakness.

Instead of Ember's father waiting for them, it was Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman's eyes were wild when she saw them enter. She immediately grabbed for Draco, but the boy snarled and ripped his arm from her grasp.

"Don't touch me," He spat, surprising even Ember.

"He's been around the blood traitors too long," Bellatrix cooed, almost as if excusing his behavior.

She circled around the group, sneering at them all in turn. She lunged at Hermione, and the girl fell backwards. Bellatrix cackled until her eyes settled on one of the snatchers. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was holding the sword of Gryffindor. She shrieked as if someone had slapped her, and she pointed to it with a shaking hand.

"Where did you get that?"

The man looked down at the sword in his hand and shrugged.

"The mudblood had it in her back when we searched it," He smirked greasily. "I figure it's mine now."

Bellatrix shrieked again and pulled her wand out of her sleeve. She howled something awful, and long ropes shot out from the tip of her wand, wrapping around the necks of the snatchers. After she finally released them, she ordered them out. She hissed at Wormtail and pointed at the group of friends.

"Take everyone to the cellar," She spat. "Leave the mudblood – we have to have a little chat. Girl to girl."

Ember felt someone's hands wrap around her arms, and she watched as everyone – Draco included – was grabbed and taken down to the cellar. Their angry shouts echoed off of the walls, but they were futile. The gate to the cellar slammed behind them, and Ember had to cover her ears as Hermione's screams echoed through Malfoy Manor.

"We have to help her!" Ron cried out, gripping his deluminator.

It blinked once, and then Ron opened it. Not only did a light fly out of it, but Dobby landed in front of them as well. They heard a girlish squeal, and looked over to find Luna and Olivander. Dobby insisted that he was there to help Harry, who in turn insisted that he take Olivander and Luna out of the Manor first. Dobby nodded and told the others to meet him at the top of the stairs in ten seconds.

Wormtail came back down the stairs and opened the gate. Ron knocked him out and Harry took his wand, and the friends snuck up the stairs. They waited quietly, until Ron spotted Hermione lying on the floor. Ember could see the word _mudblood_ carved into her forearm, and she seethed. Ron, however, didn't take to seething silently. He charged forward and shot a curse at Bellatrix.

A battle ensued, and Ember was lost in the chaos of curses flying across the room. Dobby called them over, and the last thing Ember saw was Bellatrix throwing a knife in their direction. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was standing in the surf of a clear ocean. She immediately fell into George and Fred's arms and breathed their scent deep into her lungs.

"Harry Potter…"

She tuned and gasped. Sticking out of Dobby's stomach was a small dirk; blood was seeping from the wound at an alarming rate. She felt queasy, but she made herself look. Harry ran over to the house elf, and held him in his arms.

"It's alright, Dobby," Harry attempted in a soothing voice. "Hermione will have something… in her bag."

Harry looked up at Hermione, who shook her head sadly and then turned it into Ron's shoulder. Ember hear Dobby mutter something, but it was so soft and disjointed that she couldn't make out the words. The next thing she could comprehend was Luna walking over to the pair of them, kneeling, and then sliding Dobby's eyelids down.

"I want to bury him," Harry sobbed. "Properly, without magic."

So they walked to find a proper spot for Dobby's resting place. Harry dug the hole, placed the body into it, and everyone helped him push the sand back over Dobby's sheet-covered body. They said nothing; Ember figured that no one _could_ say anything. She wasn't sure what you said to someone who died trying to free you. Silently, she sent her thanks to Dobby, and let George and Fred pull her into the circle of their arms.

The hope that she had felt not too long ago vanished as the last of the sand was pushed into Dobby's grave.

(xxxxxxxxx)

Ember looked up from the stake she just drove in to the ground. Dusting her hands off, she looked up and noticed Harry's grim but determined expression.

"He's got a plan," She mumbled to her friends. "And I don't think we're going to like it."

Sure enough, as they huddled around Harry and listened to his theory about Lestrange's vault, Ember felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Gringott's was impossible to penetrate - next to Hogwarts, it was the most secure place in London - maybe the whole world. She also realized, with bile rising in her throat, that Voldemort may have already penetrated Gringott's, posting his own men in the bank. She frowned.

"Do you think the sword opens the vault?" Ember was grasping at straws, trying to piece together _some_ plan. "We already know it can destroy Horcruxes, but if it's safe in her vault, why would she worry about whether we had the sword or not?"

She sighed and leaned back against Fred, who began drawing comforting circles on her back.

"We need to stop by Olivander's first," Harry told them. "I'm sure by now he's made it back to his shop."

With their new plan rolling around in their heads, the group went into the tent to try and sleep. Lately, it seemed that Ember and Draco weren't the only two who had become insomniacs. She often lied next to her boys, and more often than not, both of them would mumble in their sleep and then jolt awake. They seemed to be moving earlier and earlier, because there was no sense in lying around if no one was sleeping.

"I'll take first watch," Ginny offered to Ron's chagrin.

"I'm coming with you, then," He said, walking out of the tent ahead of her.

Ember watched them leave, and with a sigh, followed Fred and George into their curtained-off bedroom. Something that had once seemed _luxurious_ was grating on her nerves, and she was quick to squash the hope of returning to her own bed back home in London. Biting back the angry tears in her eyes, she settled down between Fred and George. She let herself close her eyes, and didn't even have time to be surprised at the weariness that pulled her into sleep.

"_It's time to go, Ember."_

_With a smile, she turned around and faced her boys. Even in the Wizarding world, polygamy was frowned upon; Ember was marrying George that day, but nothing would change between the three of them. She smiled and looked around for her other 'husband', frowning when she noticed he wasn't by George._

"_Where's Fred?"_

_George's face turned into a scowl, and he fixed her with a look that told her clearly what he thought of her sanity. Still, he made a show of looking around before shrugging his shoulders at her._

"_Who?"_

_The word had barely left his mouth when something pulled on her heartstrings. There was a bitter taste in her throat, and bile threatened to rise when she realized George didn't remember who his twin brother was. The more she thought about it, however, the more confused she became. Despite the identical twin in front of her, Ember was having a hard time remembering what Fred looked like. She rolled the name around in her mind, and then paused._

Who's Fred?

_Brushing the question aside, she smiled at George and kissed his cheek._

"_Run along and get dressed now, love," She cooed. "The ceremony will start before you know it."_

Ember's eyes flew open as quickly as they had shut. The horrible feeling of being trapped inside of her own dream made her body shake. By the time she had realized what was making her so chilly, she barely made it out of the tent to throw up on the ground. Draco and Anna, who had taken the next watch, looked over at her curiously. Anna's eyes narrowed in womanly suspicion, and Ember scowled when she could stand straight.

"I'm not pregnant," She sneered at her friend. "I had a bad dream, that's all."

"Since when have bad dreams made you nauseas?" Her friend questioned.

Ember didn't have an answer for her, so she settled with relieving them of watch duty. She hadn't been outside long – perhaps fifteen minutes or so – when she heard the tell tale noises of her friends moving about in the tent. She peeked her head inside, and her suspicions were confirmed when she saw eight bodied moving around inside.

"We may as well head out," Ginny mused. "There's no sense in sitting here with our thumbs up our arses."

Ron looked positively appalled, but his chance to say anything vanished when the teens began to pack up the tent. Ember suddenly felt grimy; she wondered how long it had been since she had showered, and she knew her dental hygiene habits were far from perfect. Her nose wrinkled at the thought of her boys kissing her in this state, but then remembered that they were as bad as she was. Brushing the discomfort off, she placed her hand in the middle of the circle of her friends and felt her stomach leak through her toes as they apparated.

They landed just outside of the Leaky Cauldron, and Ember's heart jumped to her throat at the familiar sight. The smell of warm butterbeer drifted through her nose, and then she realized that it must have just been her imagination – Hogsmeade was deader than she could ever remember it being before. Her heart sunk down to her stomach this time, and she fought the urge to cry at the desolate scene. The group made their way to Olivander's wand shop, and saw the man, much to Ember's delighted surprise. Harry approached the man, and Olivander held up a hand.

"Young man, I already know what you seek, and I cannot help you," He said loudly, looking around. Leaning close enough for Harry, and the other around him to hear, he mumbled. "Come back after the shop is closed."

The friends sighed tiredly, but agreed, passing the day by sitting in a coffee shop down the way. After hours, they walked back, and Olivander let them into the shop, hurriedly shutting and locking the door behind them. He pulled the shades down and finally turned to the group.

"You seek the Elder Wand," He observed with a weary smile. "It's about time, Mr. Potter."

"Did you make it?" Harry asked, and the man laughed softly.

"No, Mr. Potter - something that dangerous did not come _my_ hands."

Ember groaned - maybe this had been a dead end after all. Beside her, Draco scoffed and fixed the man with an impatient glare.

"Do you know who has it?" He demanded.

"Patience, Mr. Malfoy," Olivander said, reprimandingly. Draco gritted his teeth, but held his tongue; "The only way to get the Elder Wand is to master it," Olivander continued. "If I am correct, your Headmaster, Dumbledore was in possession of it until he died. Tell me, was he unarmed of his wand?"

They all looked at him oddly, and Draco shifted from one foot to the other. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke up, almost abashedly.

"I unarmed him."

"Then, that would make you the Elder Wands master." Olivander said, "Unless... _you_ have been disarmed recently?"

Draco glared over at Harry, who had knocked Draco's wand away only a few days before during a squabble that the two insisted on continuing.

"Yes," Draco mumbled. Olivander followed Draco's glare and nodded.

"Then that would make Harry the master of the Elder Wand."

Ember was thoroughly confused. By the looks on her friends' faces, she wasn't the only one. Hermione cleared her throat and then looked at the older man squarely.

So what you're saying is, that to master the Elder Wand you have to win it from its owner?" She asked. Olivander nodded, as Harry spoke up.

"That's where Voldemort's going then," Harry mumbled. "He's going to Dumbledore's grave, where the Elder Wand is."

Olivander nodded; "But he will find that it will work less for him, since he was not the one, to win it."

Ember felt the spark of hope flickering in her soul, and she gripped George's arm in excitement.

"What are we waiting for, then?" She asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation. "We have to get to it before he does - or at least be there to see his face when the and won't work for him."

She couldn't keep the smile from her face - there had been nothing but doom and gloom following them since finding Gryffindor's sword. Finally, a bit of good news - it felt like she had won the lottery in comparison.

"We need to _go_," She giggled, drunk off of hope. She pulled George and Fred to the door. "Let's go get something _done!_"

Harry held a hand up.

"We can't. We have to get into Gringotts before the Lestranges get those Horcruxes."

Ember fixed him with a side-long look of exasperation.

"We have to get that bloody wand before he does!" She cried.

"Even if he does...he can't work for him right," Harry reassured; "We'll make it quick. We're in Diagon Alley, near Gringotts - we might as well get it over with."

Ember grumbled the entire way, but reluctantly followed the group as they slipped through Diagon Alley and into Gringotts. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked up at the greeting sign.

_Enter Stranger but take heed, of what awaits of the sin of greed, for those who take but do not earn, must pay most dearly in their turn. So, if you seek beneath our floors, a treasure that was never yours; Thief, you have been warned beware; of finding more than treasure there. _

"How are we going to get past the Goblins?" Anna asked.

"We might have to ask for help." He said.

Ember glared; "What goblin will help break into their own bank," she hissed.

Ginny shrugged; "That Griphook's always been a bit shady." She suggested, Harry nodding.

They stood by, trying to seem as if they belonged there, while Harry beckoned over Griphook. With a rushed and quiet tone, Harry presented the plan and asked for the goblin's help. After a moment, the goblin spoke.

"The other goblins will consider it treachery... But I will help. As payment, I want the sword of Godric Gryffindor."

Harry refused, saying the sword belonged to them as Gryffindors, and Griphook claimed the sword belonged with the goblins, from whom Godric had stolen it. Finally, Griphook agreed to help, and told them that they needed a disguise - and only two or three of them could come in. Nine students seemed out of place in Gringott's. Hermione sighed and picked something off of her shirt, first scowling and then smiling.

"Brilliant," She smiled.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione went with Griphook; Hermione posing as Bellatrix, and Griphook under the invisibility cloak with Harry, while Ron assumed a false identity. The rest of them waited outside. They weren't sure how long they had waited; it seemed like forever to an impatient Anna, whose hands were now being held by Draco to keep her from chewing her fingers bloody. They heard a loud roar, and all of them looked at each other, and stood up. The ground shook, as a great Dragon burst from Gringotts. It darted at them, and the first thing they did was grab on, and hold on tight. Harry, Ron and Hermione were already on it, clinging for dear life. Harry holding Hufflepuffs cup.

"We can't leave you alone for five seconds, can we, without you stirring dragons." Anna said, nails digging into the scales of the dragon.

"Shut up, Anna," Ember called up to her friend over the roar of the dragon. "This is _awesome_ - I don't care _what_ happened!" She scowled at the snort that George and Fred let out. "Okay fine," She conceded. "I care. What happened?"

They listened as Hermione filled them in - Griphook had double crossed them, taking the sword and running, screaming to the other goblins that they were thieves. They had finally escaped using stunning spells until Harry freed the dragon from its prison.

"You should have seen the fire!" Ron called. "It was all... take that goblin and... take that!"

Ember giggled at Ron's enthusiasm and then stopped.

"Wait... what about the sword? How do we destroy these things now?"

Anna shrugged; "I heard Fiendfyre is extremely potent," she began, but Draco cut her off;

"And extremely dangerous, Callahan. We don't go messing with stuff like that, even the strongest Dark Wizards cannot control it."

Anna sighed; "Maybe we'll have to read up on it," she said, sighing heavily.

They rode the dragon until sunset, when they were finally able to escape it; much to Ember's disappointment, and Anna's relief. They had discovered that the Dragon was in fact blind, so they were careful to be quiet; it didn't take long and the Dragon flew off.

That night, Harry saw another vision; Voldemort had heard about the theft and Gringotts. He now knew they were after the Horcrux; and that now time was running out faster than ever. They needed to get to Hogwarts and find the other Horcruxes, they would definitely be there; and so Harry decided they needed to apparate to Hogsmeade in the morning. Only he didn't get a chance; they were all woken up in the dead of night, by Death Eaters. Anna looked at Harry;

"Hogsmeade?" She asked.

How'd she know, and then Harry realized she didn't, she was trying to put herself closer to danger, to keep themselves further from harm. Harry nodded, and they apparated, only to find more Death Eater's on their tail. Harry shot spells at the oncoming Death Eaters, until he heard a voice.

"Get in!"

He didn't wait around to see who it was; they all just stumbled in. Anna looked up and squinted her eyes.

"Dumbledore?" She asked. The man looked less friendly.

"Aberforth Dumbledore, thank you very much."


	19. Acud Theatre

**Chapter Eighteen**

_(Acid Theatre)_

"Albus' younger brother," The man continued, a sour and sad look on his face. "You're here now - they won't let you back out. You can't apparate into the school as you very well know. I don't know why you want to go in there, but it's your own head."

Harry scowled. "He left me a job."

Aberforth snorted and went on, poking fun at it until he finally snapped.

"You've got to? Why? He's dead now isn't he? Let it go before you die too!"

Ember's eyes widened in surprise, and she could hear the quiet gasps from her friend. They stood in front of the man who claimed to be Albus' own brother, but seemed to despise him more than an enemy. This confused Ember to no end; she and Draco argued constantly, and she still loved him. She saw all of the Weasleys fight to no end, but at the end of the day, there was no one they loved more than each other. Anna shifted to her other foot and tilted her head at the man.

"Why do you hate your brother so much?" She asked.

Aberforth fixed her with a gaze, and Ember saw both pain and cynicism in his eyes.

"I'm sure you've read Rita Skeeter's book, the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore?" He asked. They all nodded. "Well, it's true. He was friends with Grindelwald. They planned on purifying the Wizarding Race. Only a fight broke out between us all. You see, I was against it. Our sister, Ariana, was not allowed to go out of the house. She was a squib, you see, and spells were flying everywhere...and we don't know whose spell did it, but one of us killed Ariana. All for my brother's lust for power." He sneered; "I don't understand your blind faith in that man. I imagine he wanted to get rid of Voldemort, for many reasons, but the main? Too alike for comfort, I should think."

Ember's mind blanched. Had Albus Dumbledore, the man they had all admired so greatly, really been like the man they were trying to kill? Bile rose in her throat, and she quickly swallowed it; she wished she could swallow her doubts just as easily. Had Dumbledore really been set on purifying the Wizard race? Did he hate them all as much as Voldemort?

"No." Ember's voice was shaking, as her whole body did. "No, you're wrong! You're bitter over your sister's death - you blame him, and that's okay! But... But he didn't... He wasn't!" She looked pleadingly at George, who held her silently and stared at Aberforth. "Was he?"

She looked at her friends, and saw doubt in their eyes. It was the same doubt in her heart, but she ignored it. Dumbledore was different. He wanted to help. If not... What the hell were they doing here, getting ready to sneak into a school infected with Death Eaters? What had they been doing for almost the past year? Why had Dobby died to protect them, and why had Voldemort been so set on killing Dumbledore? She shook her head; they had worked too hard for it to all be meaningless.

"Was he?"

She was more talking to herself now. The past months had taken their toll on Ember - she was becoming a bit of a nutter.

The small pub was filled with silence; Ember took the time to recognize the Hog's Head Pub. They had come here in their fifth year in order to create Dumbledore's Army. The irony that Ablus' loathing brother had owned the place was not lost on Ember. Everyone's emotions were on edge from the last almost-year. Aberforth turned at the sound of groaning wood.

"Ah, Longbottom."

They all turned and saw Neville; Ember was glad to see someone else familiar, and that he was alive. It almost felt like they were back at Hogwarts before this all happened. Almost.

"H-Harry!" Neville said, happy; "I can take you through here, it'll lead to the Room of Requirement."

He was happy to see them all; Ember relished the wide smile on his face. They all nodded gratefully, turning from Aberforth. Anna stopped, the last one to go into the tunnel, and turned to Aberforth.

"People change. Even if it did happen, I should think your brother lived with that guilt every day of his life. Maybe...he wanted to prevent more horrible deaths, and that's why he wanted to stop Voldemort."

Aberforth said nothing, so Anna followed the rest through the tunnel and finally into the Room of Requirment, where Dumbledore's Army was. Even Luna was there; she smiled dreamily at them, but said nothing about them saving her from Malfoy Manor. Ember wanted to hug the girl for this fact alone. Everyone was eager to see what each other had been doing while they were gone. It was from Luna, they found out about the Diadem, of Ravenclaw, that could possibly be a Horcrux; she just didn't know where it was, just that it was in the school.

Ember hugged her schoolmates hurriedly, watching as Ginny and Hermione hugged as well. Fred and George shook hands happily with Lee Jordan, and Draco did well ignoring the curious stares in his direction. It was immediately decided upon that Dumbledore's Army needed to get that Diadem. They had come up with a plan, but never got to go through with it - not yet, at least. They fell silent as someone yelled through the halls outside of the room.

"They're coming! Voldemort's Army is going to attack! Brace yourselves!"

Ember stared and shivered violently. This was it. This was the Second Wizarding War. It almost amazed her how quickly it had come; one moment, they were just as they had been in school, and the next…They needed the diadem. They needed to kill Voldemort - that's what DA had been made for. She held George and Fred close and exhaled, trying to not pass out.

"Harry," She called softly. "We follow you to the end. Lead the way."

They needed to go to Ravenclaw Tower to find the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw's Ghost, hoping she might know where it was. McGonagall was running around, and nodded curtly at them, not surprised in the least to see them there. She paused and conjured up several Patronus charms, sending each cat off to alert the Heads of House.

"We need to find Peeves," Fred called out.

"Are you mad?" Ember asked, recollecting a bad encounter her first year, with the mischievous poltergeist.

"Yes," he said, "It'll be the best distraction for the Death Eaters if he wreaks absolute havoc."

"Brilliant," Ember responded, grinning madly.

They all split up; Ron and Hermione ran off somewhere, Ron having an idea on how to destroy Hufflepuff's Cup. Harry and Luna ran to Ravenclaw Tower to find the Grey Lady. The twins and Ember ran off to find Peeves, and Anna and Draco ran around, trying to help keep the defenses around the school up. Flich was running about screaming that the kids were out of bed past curfew; they all ignored him.

"This is a bloody war!" Anna shrieked, dodging a spell.

Percy ran up to George and Fred, and Ember frowned when she noticed how on edge they looked. Percy had betrayed them before for the Ministry, and Ember found she really couldn't blame them. Percy's face was white, and he was wringing his hands nervously as he approached. Ember fixed him with a cool look, but moved aside to let him speak with his brothers.

"Is...is there anything I can do to help?" He asked, almost uncertainly.

Fred and George were speechless, giving Ginny enough time to sneak into the battle. She had just discovered her parents. They were all right, but Fred and George didn't know yet. McGonagall ran past them, trying to collect all of the students who were either to young to fight, or simply didn't want to. Ember looked between the three brothers and grabbed George and Fred with determination.

"Percy, go find Peeves. Help him distract the Death Eaters any way you can." Ember watched the color drain from the former Gryffindor's face and she wanted to kick him. "This is a bloody war," She hissed at him. "Stop being a baby and go!"

She did kick him this time, and he took off, slightly more frightened of Ember at this moment than he was of Peeves. She looked around and saw that she, Fred, and George were the only ones left of their group. She hoped that their friends were okay - succeeding or not in their tasks, so long as they were alive. The three took off after Ginny, dodging spells and throwing back their own. McGonagall had finally evacuated the students, placing some of the DA members to guard their hide out.

"Shit!"

Ember cried out as a streak of white light whizzed by her ear. She shot out a reducto curse and watched with disgusted satisfaction as a Death Eater exploded. She spotted the Weasleys ahead of them - parents included.

"Boys - your parents!" She pointed, and George shot a body lock charm on someone coming up behind them.

Harry, meanwhile, was talking to the Grey Lady, after much running around to find her. He found that Tom Riddle had charmed the Diadem from her mother; or more like stole it.

"Great," Harry said wearily, "Where is it?"

The Grey Lady sniffed, as if she was above telling Harry.

"Listen, we have to know, for the sake of this world, we have to know!" He pleaded.

She shrugged; "I saw a handsome boy, near the seventh floor corridor," she said, "with the diadem."

She floated away after this; and Harry realized; "The Room of Requirement!"

Draco and Anna were running here and there, dodging spells and hoping their friends were all right. Draco caught sight of Crabbe and Goyle; he looked at Anna and she nodded, and they followed. They followed them all the way up to the seventh floor corridor, where Harry and Luna had just entered the Room of Requirment, having met up with Ron and Hermione. Ron had just destroyed the Hufflepuff Cup with the basilisk fang in the Headmaster's office. It had been Ron's idea and Hermione was beamingly proud of him.

They all enter the Room of Requirment, Anna and Draco lagging behind. Harry found the Diadem, just as Crabbe started shooting spells as Hermione and Harry.

"Stop!" Draco yelled. Crabbe turned surprised to see Draco, but looking betrayed. Crabbe was now beyond Draco's control. "Stop – no!"

Draco tried to disarm him, but Crabbe had obviously been practicing dueling; he dodged and cast Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement. It spread faster than Anna had anticipating. She had been separated from Draco because of the wildly moving flames. She screamed, looking for him; she could hear him calling her name, but the fire had already gotten out of control, burning the Room and killing the Diadem. All that was left were two Horcruxes, Nagini, and the other...they didn't know. Draco dragged Goyle out of the Room, Crabbe already dead.

"Draco!" Ember called out. "Don't die in there – you had better save both your asses, or I'll never forgive you!"

Ember and Ginny turned their focus on the fire - augamenti wasn't doing much, but it wasn't making things worse either. Focusing on one spot, they held the path open until their friends found what they needed and left the room. They ducked and left the offense to George and Fred who were protecting their backs.

"Get out of there! Now!" She looked over her shoulder and saw the statue of the humback witch opening. "George! Fred! The passages!"

She took off with them, shooting curses to any Death Eater seen coming through the secret passages. She froze as an eerie voice filled the Halls.

"Hand over Harry Potter! If you do not, the army will grow in size - Death Eaters and dark creatures alike will fight for me."

Ember seethed and used a Cruciatus curse on the Death Eater coming from the humpback witch. Her friends ran through the passageway, Draco holding onto Anna, determined not to let her go again. Ember mumbled under her breath; it wasn't Anna's fault, but she still thought it was cute Draco was worried about her, and had for once openly showed it. He was normally a coward, but he actually acted like a man, and rescued Anna, instead of leaving her in there to die. Had he done just that, Ember would have had to cursed him into oblivion.

The passageway was long, but they made it out, into another corridor lined with portraits that were falling off the walls, due to curses flying here and there. Death Eaters swarmed, bullying any student they could corner. Percy was dueling with a Death Eater who had his mask off, a nasty scratch gushing blood on his cheek. Other Death Eaters were sucking the good guys into one huge duel after another, and Ember panicked as she lost sight of her boys.

Relief filled her heart when she spotted Fred, who was dueling with a Death Eater Ember vaguely recognized. They were closing in on each other, and Ember's teeth were on edge. She wanted to jump in front of him, to protect him, but she knew he would never forgive her for taking away his shining moment. The Death Eater lifted his wand for what Ember knew would be the killing curse, and her warning shout was cut off with Fred's own defensive spell.

"Expelliarmus!"

Ember punched the air with victory and relief, but paused. Something had gone wrong – the Death Eater's wand was still in his hand. Ember watched, as if in slow motion, as Fred's spell backfired and ricocheted. There was a terrible fiery explosion – and Fred was at the very center of it. Ember stopped dead, and the dream from so long ago hit her hard.

"No," She hissed, grabbing onto George's arm. "No!"

She ran as close to the explosion as she could, but the pain in her heart was too much to ignore.

"Fred!"

Her voice shook, and she didn't try to stop the tears that fell from her eyes. She whirled around, looking at the Death Eater that Fred had been trying to stupefy. She marched towards him, the anger in her heart overtaking the pain at just the right moment.

"You... loathsome... wicked... heartless... mother... _fucker_!"

She exploded him. She stood over his ashes, not daring to turn around and stare at the flames. The smell of burnt flesh reached her nose and Ember fell to her knees, vomiting. When she couldn't vomit anymore, she dry heaved, the tears streaming down her dirty face. She felt a hand on her, pulling her up, and she buried her head into George's shoulder.

"No…" It was the only word she could squeeze from her throat. "No. No, no, no!"

Anna just stood there after the explosion rocked her feet, and she would have fallen, had Draco not caught her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked horrified, Ginny was between crying and angry; and Anna was in shock. She knew she probably shouldn't be - this was war, there were bound to be causalities, but somehow she pictured them getting through this, and all making it out alive -together, as best friends like they all always were.

As Fred's death sunk in for them all, so did reality. A reality that Ember found almost too hard and bitter to swallow; they could all die at any given moment, and the worst part was...they had to leave him there and continue on, or die themselves. If they stood here mourning him, and died because of it, she knew Fred would never forgive them - he'd haunt their asses. Anna swallowed tears, as Harry finally stood up, having fallen from the explosion; he ran off to who knew where.

It was chaos, they were all running amok. Harry was nowhere to be seen. Neville said that Harry had told him to kill Nagini, and Ember vaguely wondered why. Couldn't they? Ember felt a weight in her stomach; was he planning something, without telling anyone? She wondered, and then heard Anna voice her question.

"Where did he go?"

Neville shook his head; "I don't know, no one has seen him for awhile."

Draco gritted his teeth; "Potter better not get himself killed; or we're all doomed."

Ember was staring at the flames, her heart shutting down completely. Her mind went numb - there was only anger, and that anger wasn't going to be wasted. She relished in it, embraced it, even. She lifted her eyes from the flame and locked them with George's.

"Let's go kill some fuckers," She hissed to George, who nodded. "For Fred."

The two took off, waiting for the others to fall in behind them. Death Eater after Death Eater fell in to stop them, but Ember's hatred and pain made quick work of whatever her friends' curses didn't. They were slowly making progress through the hall, but it was enough for Ember. As they sent curses flying, thunderous roars echoed through the castle.

"He is dead! Harry Potter is dead!"

Ember didn't stop this time - she ran to the courtyard, followed by her friends. Hagrid placed the corpse of their friend at their feet and Ember seethed.

"MOTHER FUCKER!"

She wasn't the only one screaming at the Dark Army. There was no hope left; even Draco looked pale. He had his fingers intertwined with Anna's, and he sought out his mother's face. He nudged Ember, who turned her cold gaze to meet her mother's. There was a moment of bitter understanding between the three Malfoys, and then there was complete chaos. There was no order anymore; people screamed, shouted, and Neville, who hadn't ever really stuck out, had a shinning moment. He pulled the Gryffindor Sword out of the Sorting Hat, and sliced off Nagini's head.a

Students fought Death Eaters, even if it meant risking their life - Harry Potter was no longer their hope. Bellatrix cackled, firing spells at Ginny. Mrs. Weasley snarled in a way that was almost Malfoy worthy.

"Get away from my daughter, you _bitch_!"

She screamed, firing spells madly at Bellatrix who was no longer cackling, but trying to hopelessly defend herself. There was a scream of rage from Voldemort as Bellatrix fell to the ground, his best lieutenant dead. It was then that Harry Potter's body moved.

hissed in excitement - he was faking! The bloody git was faking! She turned her back to him, pulling George next to her so they were inconspicuously guarding him. A moment later, Harry disappeared. Ember pointed and shouted out to her friends - house elves, Slytherins, Hogsmeade residents, and family members swarmed onto the ground, fighting with everything they had. Hope was restored - she fought harder, moving with George and Lee Jordan, cornering and killing Yaxely. She had lost sight of Harry, but she knew in her heart he was alive, hiding in plain sight.

Anna placed a body-bind-curse on one Death Eater. She fought side-by-side with Draco, who she found was very good with non-verbal spells, and was quite the accomplished Wizard. She swelled with pride. Voldemort was distracted, momentarily, by the centaurs thundering in, brandishing bows and arrows, shooting them at the Death Eaters. Ember again felt hope bloom in her heart. She gripped her wand tighter, with her sweaty hand, firing another spell, and dodging another.

Then it was silent. Just as suddenly as the battle had begun, it ended. Everyone – every last person - turned, and saw Harry Potter standing before Voldemort, holding his wand. Voldemort hissed with the knowledge that he had once again failed to kill Harry Potter.

Ember gripped George's hand, ignoring the ear that he had lost during their battle with Yaxely. A hush fell over the grounds as students and Death Eaters fell back, watching the two nemeses circled each other. Ember gripped tighter, listening as Harry taunted Voldemort, telling him that Snape was never his ally, but had been working for Dumbledore.

"He was never the master of the Elder Wand - Draco Malfoy was! And I defeated him _weeks_ ago! Snape never beat Dumbledore - the death was planned between them!"

Voldemort looked beyond angry; his red snake eyes shone with pure unadulterated rage. His lips moved upwards in a snarl, his hiss like a snake. Ember shivered violently; it was the first time she had ever truly seen her grandfather, and she was at once grateful for that fact.

"Try for some remorse, Riddle," Harry said, surprising all, including Tom Riddle himself.

"Remorse?" Tom hissed again.

His ugly white, skeletal face, that was once handsome and beautiful, was sneering back at Harry, as if Harry had asked him to do a tap-dance down the hall. But it was no use; Tom's heart had hardened and was cold years ago - he was beyond saving at this point. Perhaps, if someone had gotten to him earlier… but now it seemed like it was too late.

"Avada Kedavera!" Tom bellowed, at the same time Harry called; "Expelliarmus!"

Because Tom was not the owner and master of the Elder Wand, the spell shot back at Voldemort. His back arched, his eye's wide with shock, the Death Eater's suddenly shrinking back, trying to hide and disappear, as Voldemort's body hit the ground.

There was no cheering, nor were there shouts of rage – there was only silence as Voldemort, the greatest Dark Wizard, died for the last time.


	20. Epilogue: Ignorance

**Epilogue**

_(Ignorance)_

The wind was sweet that morning, and she turned her face into it. Her neck tingled as strands of hair moved across her skin. It embraced her, and she embraced it back, smiling softly with the knowledge that there was more than just the wind touching her that morning. She puckered her lips for a moment, as if kissing a lover, and then grinned mischievously.

When the wind died down, Alison Weasley turned her head to face the stone monument placed in the courtyard of Hogwarts. She let her fingers trace the carved names, and didn't try to suppress the shiver that passed through her body. She knelt down in front of it and looked up, reading the familiar words for the hundredth time.

_Never to be forgotten are those who gave their lives during the Second Wizarding War_.

She read the list of names like an old favorite book. Some of them she didn't recognize, but others she did. She knew Ted's parents, Remus and Tonks, died when he was only just a baby. For a kid who was raised between his maternal grandmother and his godfather, Harry, he was as normal as they came. She knew of Sirius Black; her parents often told her stories about Harry's godfather, and she mourned him as though she knew him herself. She recognized other names; students that had gone to school with her parents, and of course, Albus Dumbledore. Her fingers trailed down the list until they traced the familiar indentations of one particular name.

_Fred Weasley_

Her brow pulled down into a frown; this man she mourned above all others. Her parents had sat her down on her fourteenth birthday, and had explained to her that she didn't have just one father, but two. The conversation had mostly disgusted her; she heard too much about her parents' strange sex lives for her own comfort. She _did_, however, pay attention to the fact that her parents were never really sure which twin had fathered Alison, but that they loved her just the same. Alison had the strange idea that they may have even loved her more if she had turned out _not_ to belong to her father; perhaps she was the only part of Fred Weasley that her parents had left.

The wind picked up again, and it was almost playful. It tossed her hair to one side, and as soon as she would fix it, it would happen again. She crossed her arms and pouted, standing up and stamping her foot. Finally, the wind turned back into a gentle caress, and she smiled. She puckered her lips again and shivered as the wind brushed her face.

"I love you, too, Daddy Fred."

"Who are you talking to, Allie?"

Alison turned and smiled mischievously at the blonde boy walking across the courtyard. She waved a hand and then turned back to the stone monument. Scorpius Malfoy stopped beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a hug.

"Mum and dad say to tell you hello," He mumbled, holding out a letter in explanation. "And that they can't wait to see us for Christmas."

Alison pulled her own letter out of her pocket, handing it over to Scorpius for examination. The blonde arched his eyebrow, looking much like his father and aunt, but took the letter from his cousin without question. He unfolded it, and read it silently. His hands were shaking when he handed the letter back.

"Come on," He mumbled, touching her elbow. "They're about to serve dinner. Hugo, James and Lily are bickering again. James, Rose and Albus are doing their but… they're no match for Malfoy politics. "

Alison smiled and nodded, but didn't turn to leave just yet. She placed the letter on the ground by the monument, trusting the wind not to blow it away immediately. She leaned forward and kissed Fred's name, ignoring Scorpius' comment about how unsanitary it was. With one last kiss to the wind, she turned and followed her cousin into Hogwarts.

(xxxxxxxxx)

_It is time you knew the entire truth, daughter, for the world has not always been such a kind place as it is now._

_You have seen the stone at Hogwarts, no doubt, erected in memory of those who died sixteen years ago. You have learned of the Wizarding Wars in class, and then there is what your father and I have told you. None of these, even added together, can begin to describe the events that took place years before you birth. I'm not sure even my words can, but I will try, for it is time you know._

_You see, my shining sun… Many years ago, there were two men, who were very much alike. The first man, Tom Riddle, _despised_ how 'muddied' the wizard race had become. He aspired to cleanse the world of anything but pure blood. The second man had the same aspirations. The difference in the two men was that the first never felt remorse. The second man realized the harm his thoughts led to, and changed his aspirations to fight the first man to the death. The second man, you see, was Albus Dumbledore._

_I cannot begin to describe the journey that led to your birth. There was a prophecy about a boy who could destroy your great-grandfather's dreams. Tom set out to destroy this child, but failed – Lily Potter saved her son by martyring herself for his sake. Harry devoted his life to defeating Tom; it led us on many interesting journeys, I can assure you. The journeys were difficult; from the first time we encountered Tom in our first year, to when Harry defeated him in our seventh… Life was always interesting, being Harry's friend._

_There were others who shared the Dark Lord's dream – cowards, really. I once regretted being born with the Malfoy name; your grandmother saw something in your grandfather that I could not growing up. All I could see was the bitter loathing of everything beneath him; I saw the same in your Uncle Draco. In fact, I often wonder what would have happened to my dear brother if your Aunt Anna hadn't come along to melt the ice around his heart…_

_But I digress. The world is full of bitter people – I cannot lie and say that there aren't still those who believe in blood status. I can, however, tell you that you need not worry your pretty head about those people. Most of their voices have been silent since their Dark Lord fell, and I must believe that as the generations go on, those voices will thin and, ultimately, die out._

_You are the next generation, Alison. It is up to you – and Scorpius, and Hugo, Rose, Ted, Lily, James, Albus – it is up to _you_ to rebuild a world that my generation destroyed._

_I have the utmost faith in you, Alison. All the love in the world, Mother._


End file.
